The Descendants
by EvelynSera
Summary: There are two houses in the future Britain. Morgana and Arhur belong to each. When a marriage alliance is necessary, the two of them are brought together! Arthur x Morgana Rated T for future chapters enjoy :D
1. The Council

**As I promised the Chapter 1 is up! I hope you enloy the story...**

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><p>A young woman walked quickly around the manor's corridors to reach the counsil chambers where five men awaited her arrival. The doors opened and the guard announced her entrance.<p>

"Her Majesty the Queen of Avalonea, Morgana XI, daught-"

"Oh please, this is a council meeting!", the woman said rolling her eyes at the guard. She moved past him in a hurry obviously annoyed. "There's no need for protocol!" The guard turned red as a tomato and embarrassed he bowed his head and didn't look up from the marble floor till the meeting ended.

She sat on the head of the big mahogany table that held all of her kingdoms problems and concerns. The rest of her councilors, after greeting her good morning, sat on their respective seats. The looks upon their faces were not what the young monarch wished to see but she couldn't blame them. For the past two years everything ran smoothly and the people were joyous and eager for the changes their young sovereign would bring but now clouds had started gathering and they seemed vey dark.

The first and biggest of the problems Avalonea had to face was the decay of its trading industry which had been the main source of income for the whole country. Once the port of the capital were filled with ships and all major shipping companies used Avalon as their headquarters. Now the city's trade center was withered and the crown had to deal with all sorts of financial problems.

"How did the meeting with the representatives of the Treasury go, Sir Alliser?" Morgana asked with a smile in hopes of receiving an answer that would lift her spirits. She had kept her mother's council as it was when she died believing that they would help her rule until she was mature enough to rule on her own. Sir Alliser had served as the minister of finance for both her late mother, Queen Morgaine VIII, and for a short time her grandmother, Queen Morgane V, and he was the only one of her councilors Morgana trusted completely.

"Unfortunately, Ma'am, the bankers are not willing to lend any amount of money to Avalonea. Instead, they demand an instant payment of the loans your father and mother and her mother before her took. I fear that they will leave the kingdom perish and then when we have begged enough they will take an advantage of our situation for a few thousand coins" the old man said with a bitter voice.

The 23-year-old woman felt her smile freezing on her face and dropping on the wooden table before her as silence engulfed the room. She felt horrible. The world kept slapping her on the face and she couldn't do anything to protect herself or her people for that matter. She looked around the table and met Raymar Castell's eyes. She started talking in hopes of some good news from her minister of trading relations about his negotiations with companies around the world but the man nodded negatively and dropped his eyes on the table. _Yet another slap_, she thought.

_This isn't fair. I have so many dreams for this kingdom, I have made plans on how we can restore Avalon's name in the world. I know I can make this city prosper again the same way the Great King and his Queen did. I spent 4 years in the best universities of the world studying finance and politics. Yet no one cares to hear my suggestions and I'm still treated as a little girl whose mother died and ended up with a crown on her head! Even if I somehow convinced them to hear my proposals, they'll never trust me to carry them out!_

She wanted to cry right there with all of them watching but of course that was out of the question! But to be honest with herself there was nothing else she could do! She had tried everything! Negotiating with the Treasury, attracting companies willing to invest in Avalon, enhancing the primary sector of her country economy; all in vein. It was as if the Gods made fun of her and her land was cursed once again as it is said it was before the Great King and Queen.

"Don't worry, ma'am. I'm sure that the allied kingdoms of Avalonea will agree to an arrangement with favorable conditions and warranties-"

"They will refuse me the same way the Treasury of the British Nations did! No kingdom holds such a strong bond with Avalonea! Do not fool yourself, Sir Agravaine, we don't live in the times of King Arthur and Queen Morgan. All alliances to Avalonea have been forgotten!" Morgana said perhaps a little too rough. She didn't like the man, partly she held him responsible for the debts the kingdom had to pay. He was her father's closest advisor and the one who urged him to borrow the money. In time he became the richest person in the kingdom while her people sank into poverty. She always suspected that her people's money had magically found their way to Agravaine's vaults. Morgana had promised herself to find proof to base her accusations but with her country falling apart she had no time to deal with Agravaine Thorn.

"I know, Your Majesty-" he said and Morgana knew that he was up to something! He was always up to something when he addressed her with her title. "-but there are other ways to make an alliance with foreign kingdoms."

The rest of her council was interested in his words and looked at him with anticipation but the queen knew that whatever came out of that snake's mouth, she wouldn't like it. She knew inside her that if he had a solution to her problems, it wouldn't be without profit for himself. It might it even mean her throne…

For centuries the House of Avalon lived with his curse of female heirs. Ever since the Greats, each generation produced only one female heir. The house could only produce daughters and that's why the laws were changed so that the throne passes to the trueborn daughter of Avalon and no one else. This chain of female heirs stretches all the way till today and its last link is Morgana herself. The female heirs of course were always married to some respectful and rich lord of Britain, who however had no claim to the throne nor to the lands of Avalonea. Frankly, there was no profit in marrying a LeFay – for some unknown reason the name Pendragon did not pass from mother to daughter and his Queen Morgan's name became the house's name- but many lords did and also it was often that the suitors were more than one.

And they did so because of The Promise. The Promise was a belief, more like a prophesy, that survived through the centuries and still haunted the female heirs. According to the people, the kingdom of Avalonea and its capital, Avalon, will rise and flourish again when the Great King and Queen rule over the realm once more. For that reason the heirs were given names variant to the Great Queen's, Morgan, Morgaine, Morgane, Morgana. Every Queen of the realm hoped that her daughter would be the Morgan of The Promise and every lord boasted themselves as Arthur.

And all of them were wrong because the country kept destroying itself and today it was nothing but a shadow of the old times. Morgana did not believe in the myth of The Promise. _It's nothing but a folktale, the hope of her people to see their country rise from its ashes. I am not going to make the same mistake my mother and her mother before her made; I'm not going to give my life away to some foreign lord who thinks himself the next King Arthur. I'm going to save my kingdom without a man's help! I'm of the Greats' royal blood!_

However now her thoughts weren't as optimistic as they were years ago.

Thorn looked uneasy as if he knew that his word won't be well received by Morgana. He had an innocent look upon his face with a slight hint of satisfaction. She was sure he thought he had everything figured out in his tiny, wicked and completely useless little head.

"Have you considered an alliance with Camelot?" he said sheepishly as if he hadn't planned this all along! Morgana knew his next words before he uttered them and she wished he was dead at that very moment.

"A _marriage_ alliance."

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><p><strong>So? What did you think? <strong>

**I know it's a little complicated with the heirs and names and kingdoms so feel free to ASK ME ANYTHING :D**

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	2. The Red Hill

**Hello! So here is chapter 2! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you for your kind reviews girls I hope I don't disappoint you :D**

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><p>The journey was long and tiring. Although, Morgana was at the luxury of her private Learjet and then at the safety of her car, she felt her body heavy and her mind exhausted by all the talking and arguing and unending speculations. She was tired of all the press following and stalking her turning her every step outside the palace into a living hell. She wished she had come to tell her mother that their people are safe and secure and the kingdom is no longer sinking into poverty.<p>

_Poverty…And I'm travelling with a Learjet! No wonder people have started disliking me! Damn you, Agravaine! If it was up to me I would have __driven all the way from Avalon by myself. _

"_Travelling on your own sends out the wrong message, ma'am. We don't need the people to think that their queen travels as a commoner."__, he had said and the rest of her councilors agreed with him._

She was disgusted by the fact that the High Council supported Agravaine so much and insisted on sending the "wrong" message to the people. The realm was broke and everyone knew about it. It wouldn't matter to the people if she was travelling on a cart!

_Old men with slow minds!_

The car came to a halt in front of the cottage's steps; she hadn't even noticed passing the estate's gates. Her chauffeur opened her door and the Housekeeper bowed and greeted her. He was an old man with a tiny amount of white hair left on his head.

"Welcome, ma'am. I hope your journey was a pleasant one."

_Oh, you have no idea!_

"It was alright, thank you." She said and smiled.

"You'll find the estate and the cottage at an excellent condition. And of course the Royal mausoleum. I have to admit we weren't expecting you so soon."

"I know but I wish to visit my mother's tomb. I will not be staying for long. Two days at most.", she said and climbed the steps with the old man on her tracks.

"I'll arrange your visit for the morrow. I suppose you wish to rest after your journey. Your chambers are ready-"

"I'll go today and I wish to go alone. There are some moments when even the queen deserves some privacy."

The man only nodded taken aback with her absoluteness but he knew his place and didn't question her wishes.

"I'll take a horse to the hill. Please, have it ready and saddled in two hours." Morgana said and headed to her room that was located on the second floor of the small country cottage.

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><p>It had been ages since the last time she had the chance to go horse riding. The Red Hill wasn't very far away from her family's residence and she soon saw the white marble of the LeFay mausoleum. Behind it the hill with the red flowers, that decorated her ancestors' graves, gave her chills down her spine. The mausoleum was a small round building with Greek and Roman architectural influences. It was big enough for only one crypt- that of the late Queen. When Morgana's time would come her mother's sarcophagus would be moved and buried in the Red Hill and Morgana's would take its place. That's how it was always done.<p>

The young queen dismounted and took a few steps towards the white building. The sun would set in a while and soon everything around her would be dark and the ghosts of the past Queens would walk the Red Hill, or at least that's what common people believed. Morgana wasn't afraid of the dark and even if there were ghosts in these lands, they wouldn't harm her. She was of their blood, they would only give her strength, advice and wisdom.

This was the third time she visited her mother's tomb but never before did she feel so helpless. She entered the circular structure and was confronted by her mother's statue on top of the crypt that held Morgaine's dead body. The cold stone didn't remind her at all of her mother, it was icy and unmoving.

She always felt weird when entering this room; naked and exposed; as if all the female heirs stood there and observed her. Morgana liked to believe that there was still magic left in this place. In the old times, magic ran in the blood of the heirs but all that made the LeFays magical had faded and for centuries no heir possessed Morgan's powers.

_Even our blood has been degraded, along with the rest of the kingdom. _

She lit the white candles she had brought with her and kneeled.

"They believe I'm the Morgan of the Promise, mama. They believe they have found the Arthur of the Promise, too. The prince of Camelot. Everyone thinks it's him because he has the name and his father's name is Uther. They call it destiny. I call it coincidence. It's ridiculous!", she said desperately.

Putting her troublesome thoughts into words was more difficult and more painful than she thought it would be.

"They say I have to marry him. They say I must! All of them, Alliser and Agravaine and Sir Oswald, the whole High Council!", tears started running down her face. She was suffocating and her breathing had gone wild and sobs escaped her.

"You told me I shouldn't become another victim of the Promise. You made me swear that you would be the last LeFay to be forced to a miserable and loveless marriage. What should I do, mother?"

She felt the eyes of the LeFays on her; judging her for being so selfish, for putting herself over the kingdom they suffered for. Morgana wondered how many of them had come here to seek counsel from their mothers and uttered the same words she did.

What terrified her the most was the unhappiness such a union would bring her. No LeFay ever found love in her marriage; they all eventually learned to bear their lives with their husbands but nothing more. Love was a luxury forbidden to her family.

"_If it was the only way to save your kingdom, what would you do?"_

She knew the answer to that very well.

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><p>Housemaids and servants had been working like crazy to prepare everything for the royal visit. The queen had agreed to her council's advice and now the prince and his envoy from Camelot would make a formal call under the pretence of making a financial alliance.<p>

_Who are we trying to fool anyway? There's not a soul in Britain that doesn't know that the prince is visiting to see if I'm worth buying. The yellow press and all the gossip shows are discussing about our marriage and the wedding preparations and who is going to design my wedding dress!__ Fools. Fools! FOOLS!_

One hour ago her secretary informed her that the prince's plane has landed and that he's on his way to the mansion where he would stay until "the deal was sealed".

Morgana looked at her idol in the mirror and frowned. For the first time in her life she cursed the LeFay beauty that was passed down to her. Raven hair, pale complexion, green eyes, high cheekbones and all the rest. She wished she was a plain girl with a boring face, thin hair, lifeless eyes and probably some missing teeth. Perhaps Arthur wouldn't want to marry her if she looked like that.

She made a last check before she went down to the reception area where her guests would be welcomed and greeted by herself and the High Council. She wore a dark blue dress with a box neckline and a band around the waist, nude platform shoes and some accessories to complete her outfit. Her make up was subtle and gave her a natural look.

It wouldn't be the first time she would meet the young Pendragon. The two of them had met before on formal events in other kingdoms. The last time they met was 3 years ago at some lord's wedding reception. Back then she was still Avalonea's young princess and was allowed to have fun and even drink alcohol. She remembered greeting the young man, he had taken her hand and kissed it as courtesy commanded and they exchanged a few words during the night along with some flirtatious glances. He was a strikingly handsome man with blonde hair and vivid blue eyes, masculine and tall, he was the definition of a prince.

_Damn it he even looks the part of Arthur! As if the name isn't enough!_

She took a last deep breath and smiled to her reflection. Unfortunately all her teeth were at their right place.

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><p><strong>What did you about it? Morgana visits her mother's grave and she is ready to welcome Arthur to Avalon but will she agree in marrying him? who knows... ;)<strong>

**tell me what you thought of the new chapie!**

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	3. The Meeting

**Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter! I would like to thank everyone for their amazing reviews. I really appreciate it and I hope you like this chapter as well :D Enjoy :D**

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><p>The guests arrived shortly after she had descended the great staircase and had taken her place in the throne room next to her counselors. She found the room filled with photographers and reporters ready to capture every moment of the next few minutes of her life. She smiled at them and allowed them to take some pictures of her. The hall was at its best; cleaned and decorated appropriately with the Pendragon and the LeFay banners hanging from the walls.<p>

"_It's a sign of good faith, ma'am. I'm sure you agree that our guests need some…now what word should I use? Pampering?", he had said. "We need this alliance, Your Majesty.", he added giving me a glare that could be easily translated into: "You better agree to marry him or else you're alone facing the chaos!"_

Agravaine's words sounded in her ears once again. She had demanded why there should be Pendragon banners or any banners at all on the walls and her genius advisor answered her thus. Ser Alliser had given her a sympathetic look telling her with his eyes: "_Let it go, child. It's just fabric on the walls!" _

She never wished to punch Agravaine more. The two days she was gone to visit her mother's grave he had taken over the mansion screaming orders at the housekeeper on how things should be prepared and ready for the prince's arrival. Morgana still hadn't figured it out why he had proposed a marriage alliance with the Pendragons and pushed her mind to think what he would gain from such a union.

Her mood couldn't be worse for her first official meeting with Arthur. With all the red banners around her she felt that her house and country was for sale and soon the buyers would be there to inspect their new investment. She hated that; all these days since she agreed to meet him she felt as a piece of meat on sale. There was only one thing left to see. How much she valued in the market.

The double doors opened just in time to interrupt her troubled thoughts. She heard Peter's voice announcing the royal party and glanced for the last time at her sides where all the members of the HC were standing all lined up. She couldn't help but think that they weren't very helpful after all.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Albion, Arthur Pendragon IV, heir to the throne and the House of Camelot, son of King Uther Pendragon X and descendant of the Great King Arthur." the young page said in a clear voice.

"_Descendant of the Great King Arthur?" Him? How dare they? I wonder who ordered this! But of course who else? Agravaine will have to explain many things once the "descendant" is gone!_

Morgana could feel her nerves and anger building at every passing moment. She was just about to turn to Agravaine and ask him to explain why this prince wore her title. Thankfully at that exact moment, Arthur and _his_ counselors walked through the double doors of the mansion's great hall and approached her with quick and confident steps. The flashes from all the cameras made it almost impossible to see him as he crossed the room but Morgana had a sharp eye and could notice that he hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him.

He wore a nice black suit with a white shirt and a dark blue tie. He looked much bigger than she remembered and his shoulders were much broader; he probably exercised more. His face was definitely more mature than it was three years ago. The golden hair and blue eyes were still there making him one of the most striking and handsome men she had ever seen. If things were different she wouldn't mind dating the guy; if things were different she would flirt shamelessly with him and she would eventually had everything her way because... well because she was Morgana.

_Focus, idiot! You have more than 30 photographers capturing every moment. You can't afford to drool over a prince no matter how handsome he is. Remember you must stay expressionless; poker face! Beside, you have met and dated men much hotter than him._

She also noticed that he was accompanied by seven men. Two of them she recognized as members of The Royal Guard, The Knights of the Round Table, the people of Camelot used to call them. Morgana laughed in her mind.

She descended the two steps of the dais, on which the Queen's throne was located, to personally greet and welcome the prince. She smiled to him when he was close enough to take her hand in his. He kissed it as protocol commands and she made a slight nod with her head, since her rank was higher than his.

"Welcome to Avalon, Your Highness. I hope you had a pleasant trip from Camelot." she said looking at him with the face all royals had practiced and used on such occasions. It was the face of happiness and friendship that the people saw in the newspapers and thought that the two people on the photos were friends when in reality they might even hate each others guts. Morgana wasn't oblivious to the fact that everyone around them stopped talking so that they could hear that small exchange between the two royals.

"It's a great honor to be here, Your Majesty. I'm glad we have been given this opportunity to make Albion and Avalonea allies once again. I ask your forgiveness on my father's behalf for his absence. He had pressing matters to take care of back in Camelot. He hopes you would accept me as his representative." he answered courteously. He didn't take his eyes from Morgana's with a tiny smile on his face.

She realized that he too found the situation ridiculous. She wondered if he found their unwilling matchmaking ridiculous, too. But she had no way to find out without betraying herself. Anyway, she had to continue this little play for the people's eyes so she spoke her last line.

"I'm sure you'll be a worthy replacement of your father. I'm sure you wish to rest af-" she said but he interrupted her.

"I hope so too, ma'am. I also hope I succeed in my goals here." he added and his lips formed a provocative and haughty smirk that irritated Morgana in the split of a second.

_No one interrupts a Queen while she speaks! Hasn't this savage learnt the protocol? Who does he think he is? And what sort of look is that on his stupid face? Is he defying me?Does he really believe that he is superior to me?_

"And what are these goals, _Your Grace_?" Morgana answered his bluff almost immediately. She was accustomed in such situations where she had to give a quick and smart reply. She waited for his response sure of her victory; he only meant to catch her unprepared and surprised but she wouldn't fall into such trap.

"_Achieving a profitable agreement for both countries, ma'am."_

That's the logical answer Arthur would give. All about their supposed marriage alliance was completely unofficial. She hadn't even decided if she would marry him and the last time she checked they hadn't agreed in a union. It would be madness to mention anything about it. The official excuse for the prince's visit was to make a financial alliance with the Queen.

Arthur paused for a moment and then leaned closer to Morgana as if to whisper something in her ear. However when he spoke his voice filled the great hall and she could see mischief in his eyes as he spoke.

"What else but to charm you and win your favor, my dearest Morgan." he said and backed away from Morgana probably sensing her building frustration and rage to his words.

_WHAT?_

A collective gasp was heard in the hall. Everyone looked at the two royals, the half looked at Arthur in shock and the other half at Morgana awaiting her response in this intellectual war between them.

Unfortunately, the young woman was left staring at Arthur with a look on her face that was a mixture of surprise, disbelief and anger. It took her about a minute to recollect her thoughts, reform her facial expression, take her most indifferent and collected look and decide what would be the best thing to answer to the little asshole. She didn't allow herself to think about the damage those words had caused and how much he had embarrassed her. No, there would be plenty of time to think about that later in a less crowded room.

"I can assure you that will be a most difficult feat to perform!" Morgana finally said and made a nod with her hand for her guests to follow her in the room in the back of the throne room. She started walking that way the next moment not giving the prince the opportunity to answer.

_What a magnificent actress I am. I should have pursued an acting career. Here I am all calm and restrained, instead of killing him with my bare hands._

The prince, his escort, Sir Alliser, Agravaine and Dame Lynesse followed in the small conference room. The rest of her High Council remained in the hall to deal with the reporters, who would be going crazy by now. She hoped that Lady Vivianne would be able to save some of her dignity; her job was to deal with the press on the behalf of the royal family and until now she had never failed her.

Morgana blocked everything from her mind and focused on dealing with the rude and arrogant boy she had in front of her. During her walk she decided to confront him later, when she would be calmer and after she had time to think thoroughly her next moves.

"The housemaids will lead you to your rooms. I hope that your stay in Avalon will be pleasant and uneventful. Feel free to ask anything you wish." Morgana said with an air of authority that suited her title. Her eyes were cold as ice while she talked. She didn't look away from the prince's eyes just to make sure he knew that she wasn't intimidated by him. The rest of his companions avoided her eyes and looked at their feet embarrassed or that's what Morgana guessed. What surprised her the most was the prince's expression, he didn't have that arrogant and sneaky look upon his face and it was difficult to read his emotions. He looked as if nothing had happened or that he had forgotten their exchange a few minutes ago.

_Could all this be an order from his father to shame me? Is Uther that much of a coward to send his son to my house just to make a fool out of me? And what was Arthur's part in this? Was it his idea? Did he enjoy it? What kind of person behaves like that?_

Arthur tried to speak but Morgana wouldn't let him. He had done too much talking for the day. "Tomorrow morning we shall discuss the terms of our agreement. Me and the HC will be waiting for you at the council chambers. My people have arranged for you a visit to the capital's most important and interesting sights. The head of the HC and minister of finance, Ser Alliser, as well as other embers of the HC will accompany you and the Apple Guard will make sure for your safety." she added. Still no one dared to look at her in the eye except for the prince who seemed completely indifferent and just listened to the shedule of his first day in Avalon. That frustrated Morgana even more! "I fear I must leave you to the care of my stuff now. Good evening." the queen said and left the room without another word.

_Well, one thing is certain now! There will be no wedding any time soon!_

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><p><strong>They finally met and things didn't go as planned! So you have an extremely annoyed Morgana, a mysterious Arthur and two kingdoms waiting for a wedding!<strong>

**Tell me what you think about the chapter! PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :D**

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><strong>


	4. The Surprise

**Hello everyone! I'm terribly sorry for not updating sooner but I had a serious problem with my inspiration...She had gone somewhere without telling me and I was left with staring at a blank page and the cursor :D Anyway, I hope you like this next chapter :D**

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><p>The whole world was going crazy around him, secretaries, advisers, reporters, photographers. Arthur had arrived in Avalon only yesterday and he had already managed to cause a chaos in both kingdoms. The news of his son's actions reached him when his assistant came in his office panting and speaking too quickly for any human being to understand.<p>

"_THE-PRINCE-CALLED-HER-MAGESTY-MORGAN-AND-SAID-THAT-HE-WAS-IN-AVALON-TO-WOO-HER!", the young man said in a crazy way that irritated the king even more._

"_Boy, sit down and speak slowly!" the King ordered and pointed to the chair in front of his office. He did as his king commanded and with awkward moves he sat down opposite the king. Uther always wondered how could Arthur be best friends with him ever since Merlin was first introduced to him. "Now, tell me what did Arthur do?" his voice showed irritation and impatience._

"_He- He called the queen Morgan and said that his purpose in Avalon was to woo her, all that in front of the reporters.", Merlin said with worried eyes. He was probably scared that Uther would direct his anger on his son's actions towards him. Being the king's assistant wasn't easy and the young man had Arthur to thank for his current position. Merlin was supposed to travel in Avalon with the prince but Uther's assistant had an accident a few days ago so Arthur proposed that Merlin could take the job until a replacement was found. He was already in charge of Arthur's funds and expenses so it wouldn't be that difficult to work for the king for a few weeks._

_Uther raised from his seat and walked up and down the room. His face looked troubled; he wasn't angry but confused._

"_Leave me alone. If they call for a statement avoid them. The palace will not make a formal statement regarding the prince's actions. Am I understood?" he turned to his temporary assistant who was already on his feet. He nodded, bowed his head and left the king to his thoughts._

Uther remembered his conversation with his son one more time. He had called him to announce that there was info that Avalonea's finances were so bad that the young queen would soon have to resort to the only way the LeFays had to ensure funding for their kingdom. Marriage. And who could be better than his son?

"_Listen to me. You will one day become Albion's king. Once the two kingdoms were united into one and the Great King ruled them both. You are the next Great King." he had said and put a hand on his son's neck to force him to look him in the eye. "We've been over this before. I have planned this ever since your birth, ever since I gave you your name. Do you understand?" Arthur was quiet and starred back at his father with cold eyes._

"_Yes, father, I understand." The king was satisfied to hear this but knew that Arthur would never marry the LeFay girl if he was given the chance. All he had done in his life until now was partying and changing women like they were shirts. It was about time he took some responsibility on himself. Uther had had enough of his behavior all these years._

"_I want you to find a way to approach her. Flirt with her, charm her, make her trust you. Women is your area of expertise. Don't, even for one moment, think that she will be willing to marry you. She's a LeFay; her ancestors have had enough miserable weddings because of the Promise, with her mother being the latest victim."_

"_Father, don't you think it's a little foolish to believe in the Promise? It's nothing but a fairy tale for the people's ears? You wish to forge an alliance on that pretense?"_

"_It is foolish and idiotic but as long as the people believe in it, kings and queens have no chance but to believe too."_

_Arthur didn't like the answer his father gave him, Uther could see it in his eyes._

"_She's a beautiful woman, Arthur, and think of all the power our kingdom will ensure once you are called the Great King Arthur, the promised one. Camelot always comes first! Remember that!"_

_He looked at his son and tried to figure out if he would work with him on this one. Thankfully, Arthur was always keen to please him and whenever his father mentioned his duty towards the kingdom, the young prince always obliged to his wishes. And this time was no different, Uther saw the conflicting emotions in his son's eyes and waited to see who would win in this private battle._

_Finally, Arthur made a swift nod with his head and the king knew he would be willing to do anything he asked._

"_What do you want me to do, father?" he said in a stern voice._

"_You will go to Avalon at once. I'm arranging a royal visit in the excuse of an financial deal between our countries. Ambros will take care of all that, you don't need to worry about it." the king answered immediately. He always seemed to underestimate Arthur's abilities when it came to matters of state even though his son would eventually succeed him in the throne. "What I really want from you is to approach the queen, flirt with her, make her fall in love with you and most importantly gain her trust."_

_The king spoke the last three words very slowly as if he was speaking to an idiot but Arthur needed to understand the importance of his "mission". According to his informer from the avalonian palace, young Morgana would rather die than be another LeFay in the service of the Promise, her mother, Morgaine, had made sure that the girl would never consent on such a union filling the little girl's mind with her own ideas of depression, unhappiness and oppression!_

"_You gain her trust and persuade her that a royal wedding is the best for her and her people."_

"_Yes, father. I'll go prepare for the journey."_

"_Yes,yes. Go. Arthur", Uther said as his son approached the door. "This is the most important task I have ever intrusted you with. If you wish for this throne to ever be yours, make sure you return with a wife."_

After everything he had told him and the ways he had advised him to approach Morgana, the king was left speechless when he found out what way his son chose. He couldn't know what Arthur had in his mind but he decided to trust his son. Perhaps he didn't show it often but Uther always knew that Arthur's heart is Camelot and his country . Let him play his game as best as he can, in the end the queen will probably be forced to marry him anyway to save her country.

Uther smiled at the prospect of Avalonea being ruled by a Pendragon.

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><p>The day had been tiresome and exhausting for the young queen. The reception, the media, the press conference, which she didn't attend but still held her nerves on edge, the urgent private meeting with Agravaine and Lady Vivianne had wasted Morgana's energy. Her temper hadn't improved since the morning events but she was grateful she didn't need to deal with the press and the guests anymore today.<p>

Thankfully, the prince and his companions had gone to the scheduled visit around the city's monument and she didn't have to see him for the rest of the day. Her secretary informed the envoy from Camelot that she was tired and had dined earlier, as a result she wouldn't be able to attend dinner with them.

Morgana knew that it was wrong and stupid and immature to avoid Arthur but right now it was her only option. She still hadn't decided how she would deal with him on the morrow but she had all night to think of that.

Although she was supposed to be in bed sleeping as her guests believed, the queen had taken refuge to her own office where no one would actually bother her. Instead of going through papers and royal commands, she chose to take a book from her bedroom to read. She hadn't spent time with a good book ever since she could remember. With no lights but her desk lamp, she sat on her comfortable chair and stared at the book's cover. It was a fantasy book that she had probably picked from some bookstore ages ago. She wished for a dead blonde prince and a unmarried queen somewhere in the plot.

However, when she had just started reading the second chapter, someone knocked on the door. She couldn't believe it! Royalty wasn't allowed some private time even at 1 am! Morgana stood from her chair and headed for the door, ready to start yelling at anyone who bothered her. She wouldn't really do it but still it was funny to think about it. It was probably Anne, her secretaty, although she was dismmissed for the day like 4 hours ago, or Sir Alliser or Aggravaine.

_On second thought I might as well start yelling at Aggravaine! He bloody deserves it anyway!_

She opened the wooden door and her mouth fell when she saw who stood in front of her. Not Anne, not Alliser, not even Aggravaine but Arthur Pendragon.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I wish to talk to you in private."

Morgana was still standing at the door dumfounded not inviting him inside. As much as she would like to slam the door to his face, she stood aside and nodded with her hand for him to enter, at the same time she reached for the lights.

"I don't understand why you have to talk to me at such an early hour. You could have waited till tomorrow morning and the meeting." Morgana might have not yet decided how to deal with the asshole in front of her but she knew one thing for certain. She couldn't trust him.

"I know it's late and I'm terribly sorry to disturb you from your-" he looked on her desk and noticed the book "reading. By the way, I have read it, the author kills his characters like a psychopath." the prince tried to joke but she was in no mood for jokes, or at least _his _jokes.

"It is late, your Highness. If you could please cut to the chase." Morgana didn't wish to sound as sharp as she did but she couldn't help herself. The prince seemed to hesitate and that satisfied her deeply. At least he isn't comfortable...

"I understand that I haven't made a good first impression on your Majesty. I understand that my boldness at the reception must have been uncomfortable and embarrassing for your Majesty and I wish to apologize with all my heart about it."

_Is he seriously asking for forgiveness? And, moreover, is he expecting to get it? He made me look like a fool in front of my subjects and the whole world! You can beg all you want, prince. Once tomorrow's council is over, you will be leaving for Camelot and never return!_

"I hope you realize that your behaviour was unacceptable? You compromised my position and practically made me look like a fool in my own house. I should have kicked you out of my country the moment those words came out of your mouth!" _but actually, I can't afford to do it!, _she thought and didn't know what she should do or say from now on.

Arthur just stood there listening to the accusations Morgan named with a sincere look of apology in his eyes. The young queen was speechless once again when she saw that look upon his face. He really meant that he was sorry; he wasn't lying about it.

"What _I _fail to understand is why you would go to such extremes as to insult me this way? Especially, when there hasn't been a word about a union?" she said and she really was curious to hear his excuse.

"Do you wish for a marriage alliance, your Majesty?" he said disarmingly.

For the third time that night, the queen was left with nothing to say.

_What sort of game is he playing anyway? What does he expect me to say? Is this a trap?_

The only thing that Morgana that came out of her lips was: "I'm in the service of my people." It wasn't exactly an answer to his question, more like a statement, but Arthur seemed to work the meaning of her words.

"Neither do I!" he said surprising Morgana. "I'm sorry for being so straight-forward about it but I have no intention to marry you."

_Alright now I'm confused! What the hell is going on with this guy? Is he on medication? Does he suffer from a dual personality disorder?_

"What? I- I honestly don't understand." was all she managed to say.

"I don't mean to insult you." he added in a hurry thinking that Morgana was offended by his rejection. "You're gorgeous and well if things were different I-" he didn't continue though only stared back at her with these amazing blue eyes.

"If you don't agree on this then why act like that in the morning?"

He laughed and the sound seemed familiar. "You must think I'm crazy? I can't blame you." he mused. Morgana could only nod, she did believe it. "You said you're in the service of your people, so am I. I'm the future king after all, and we both know that we do not always control our fates, others do: counselors, companies, parents.."

_Uther_

"What I said in the great hall was true, I _was _sent here by my father to-" he struggled with words "win your favor." he finally said.

"Well, you have failed admirably then." Morgana said.

"I know I'm only trying to tell you that with my behavior I offered you a way out." he told her but his eyes urged her to understand the meaning behind the words. When Morgana seemed to be quite lost, he explained. "Now you can diminish any possibility of a union under the pretense that I have offended you or something like that."

He looked back at her with hope believing that she would rejoice when she heard that she didn't have to marry him. Morgana felt sorry for the both of them, obviously he averted the idea of a royal wedding as much as she did. The queen looked at her hands and then back at him, only this time there was a different Arthur in front of her. His face held no hope, only suspision.

"What is it? I believed you would be relieved if not happy for this." he said. "I know you don't want this either. I have heard enough these past days and I saw it myself today." he came closer but Morgana headed towards her office, she placed one hand on the desk as if to support herself.

"Do you realize that I might not be able to refuse a marriage alliance under any pretense?" she no longer viewed him as the enemy. They were both trapped into this situation without their will and that was enough to make them allies. "It isn't the Prophecy the reason I have to marry you, Arthur."

Morgana had known from the beginning that if it meant her kingdom's survival after this economic crisis, she would be forced by principal and duty to marry the Pendragon prince. How else would she possibly secure funds for her country?

"You will not have to marry me for any reason, my lady." he said took her hand into his and kissed it lightly. "We'll figure out a way to deal with your _other _problems."

He took a step back, bowed and then left the office with a sweet understanding smile on his face. The only thing Morgana could do was stare at his back. The cat had eaten her tongue for the millionth time that night.

_What the f-_

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><p><strong>So? What did you think about that? Did Arthur surprise you? Did you like the Uther POV?<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know your opinion :D**


	5. The Gardens

**I know that I'm a horrible person for not updating sooner. I'm so sorry :D But here it is :D Enjoy **

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><p>The meeting in the morning went better than anyone expected, Avalonea had agreed to allow Albion partial ownership of the port provided that they reconstruct it. Albion would also collect an annual fee of 10% out of the harbor's income. In the last minute, Arthur had asked his uncle to add another point to the agreement and the queen and the HC were eager to accept. Albion's royal shipping companies would make port in Avalon in their trips.<p>

Uther demanded to talk to Arthur the moment he heard his son's idea. The prince had faced his father, he explained his tactic with Morgana and the king decided that the kingdom of Avalonea was worth a favorable condition in a treaty.

Now Arthur, feeling a victor after his late conversation with Morgana, the exchange with his father and the morning meeting, was getting ready for the dinner in the best mood. He couldn't wait to talk with queen again because, to be honest, she was a very interesting woman; as he had realised th previous night and she was probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

There was something weird about her; it was probably her rank, Arthur didn't usually meet queens that were younger than him or so beautiful. The ones he had met were old things with wrinkles and walking problems. Morgana was the complete opposite of that image; beautiful, young and he bet that the body beneath the clothes was as stunning as her face. _My father was right to believe that I wouldn't mind marrying her._ But even Arthur wasn't so superficial to marry a woman just because of her looks. _Well, it's not like you have a choice, mate, _he said to his reflection.

"What are you a pretty lady? Get it over with!"

_That must be Gavin._ The prince was right when he saw his friend entering his chambers without even knocking. That's how it was with Gavin; it didn't matter if you were a prince you would always receive his bitter humor. Arthur had grown used to it by now but he wondered what his father would say if he heard that a member of his guard called him _a pretty lady. _Arthur had to laugh.

"Come on, Leo is complaining and I can't stand him any longer."

"You do realize you must speak to me with more respect, right? Also, you need to knock and get permission to enter and you must address me properly!" Arthur said and the young man just laughed.

"You look gorgeous, my lady. Can we go now?" he said and went to the door. "Besides you don't want to keep the queen waiting." he said with a mocking smile. Arthur jumped at him and they wrestled for a minute before Gavin escaped his grip and added: "You don't want to ruin your dress or your make up, my lady. So move it."

"You move it, L'Oreal."

The dinner would take place in the dining room on the first floor. However, the reception would be held in the Great Hall. He saw that the banners were no longer on the walls and that the hall was filled with prominent individuals from Avalonea, he spotted Camelot's ambassador with his wife and his older son, as well as representatives from other kingdoms, whose names he heard and then forgot. He also spotted the queen in a deep blue gown in the back of the room, surrounded by people he didn't know. He made his way towards her, he ought to greet her properly this time, especially since the dinner was held at his honor.

As he approached he saw that she looked even more amazing than he thought and apparently she was surrounded not by old men, lords or dukes or barons, but young men at his age who seemed to undress her with each look they gave her. He couldn't help but wonder who they were and what they were doing at his dinner. Except from flirting shamelessly with the queen. Morgana didn't seem to notice him as he approached which only irritated him more. Of course he wasn't used in being ignored by a woman and even those that pretended to ignore him did it only to draw his attention, which was even more pathetic. But she was so preoccupied with her conversation and her "suitors" that Arthur thought perhaps she too was doing it on purpose.

_Alright, doll, let's play_.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." he said and kissed her hand. She finally took notice of his presence and gave him a warm smile in return, her mood seemed much better than yesterday.

"Your Grace, I didn't see you enter the hall."

"Oh well, I couldn't blame you. It's crowded with people I don't even know." he said and looked at the faces of the "suitors". He decided to call them like that, even though there were some ladies in the company too.

Morgana gave him a look and introduced him to each of her friends. Apparently, her party was consisted by the sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters of lords, dukes and barons of her kingdom, there were some from her father's country and a couple were commoners, heirs to the wealthiest families in Avalonea.

_My replacements. If she denies to wed me, she could easily marry one of these pumpkins._

They exchanged a few words and then it was announced that the dinner was ready. The "suitors" started talking all at the same time hoping to escort Morgana inside. Arthur stepped in and shoved a blonde pathetic little thing aside and offered his hand to her.

"My lady, would you do me the honor?" he said in his most courteous tone.

She only smiled and took his hand.

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><p>Morgana hadn't expected the dinner to be so pleasant, Arthur had contributed to that of course, but still it had been a long time since she had enjoyed herself so much. It was a surprise. But the biggest one was how many things she had in common with the prince. They sat next to each other in the middle of the table and spent most of night talking about all sorts of things.<p>

In the beginning, she was quite hesitant but when he mentioned his passion for horse-riding, Morgana couldn't resist, she was fond of horses as girls were of shoes. After that everything was easy, they talked about their college years and their countries and for these hours she was no longer a queen but a young woman that happened to meet someone from Albion.

Truth be it she was more open with him probably because of their midinight exchange. After he had left her, she felt this huge relief as if a rock was crushing her and he lifted it. She was grateful for that and the terms of the treaty. However, she couldn't help being suspicious about his actions; she had puzzled her mind again and again all night until dawn broke and she faced him at the meeting, where he proved himself to be a man who keeps his word.

_Perhaps he isn't that bad. Maybe, a little too proud and stubborn._

She fell to bed with a smile on her face but still she couldn't help but wonder why his behavior had changed so much. She was no fool to not suspect something; her mother was Morgaine for crying out loud, she knew that every man has a motive but she didn't know Arthur's yet but she was willing to play friends with the prince until she found out.

She had invited him to visit the Apple Gardens on the morrow with her. The ruins of the legend's Avalon were supposed to be underneath the roots of the apple trees. Now all that was left were the old trees that some believed dated back at the time of the Greats. In popular culture, there was one particular tree on which there were the initials "A" and "M" carved by ancient powers, the powers of the Promise. Morgana wondered how much this would amuse the prince.

Thankfully, it was a beautiful day with a glorious sun and a light breeze, she didn't want to wonder around the gardens amidst rain or cold. She dressed casually in jeans, a cream top and a woolen sweater and arranged her hair into a loose french braid to her side. It took her longer than usual to be prepared and she changed her clothes at least four times and her hair twice as many.

Just thinking about it gave her a weird feeling in her stomach.

_It isn't a crime that I want to look presentable. That's all._

To be honest, it wasn't that at all. The same had happened yesterday as well while she was getting ready for the dinner. The more she looked at her gown the more she disliked it and her hair seemed awful when the hairdresser was done with them. For Morgana it was always easy to impress men and women both and she knew she had the same effect on Arthur too. _But then why all this "insecurity"?_, she asked herself.

She wasn't good with failure, ever since she was a child she was after praise and reward, whether that was from her mother or her father or her teachers, and that trait followed her to adulthood If she ever felt not good enough, she wouldn't stop trying to be perfect.

"_...I have no intention of marrying you." _That's what he had said but what did he mean? Was she not what he had expected? Was she not good enough? Not pretty enough? And all these questions just made her more and more stubborn to impress Arthur. It was just to prove it to herself not to him; it was in her character to please and be perfect and she hated when she wasn't.

Arthur was waiting for her and they left immediately for the famous avalonian Apple Gardens. The mansion's grounds spread for thousand of acres, in fact the estate was as big as one fifth of the capitol and it was located far from the city of Avalon and the Gardens they were visiting today were about an hour away on foot, behind the northern hills. It would be just Arthur and Morgana on this visit so they decided to walk there instead of driving there.

Truth be told, she didn't want to take him to the Apple Gardens but it was expected of her since they're one of the most famous and important places in Avalonian. Still Morgana wished that she could avoid the visit, the place was of an extreme historical significance, a key-location to the Greats' story and full with references to the Promise. Besides, it was a very special place for her and her family and his arrogance and pride would just molest it. However, bringing just Arthur was better than carrying the whole envoy from Camelot with her. Sir Ambros had objected to the idea of Arthur being without protection but the prince insisted.

"I had no idea that the grounds were so vast." he said after half an hour, looking around at the scenery. They could no longer see the mansion from where they were but they still had a half-hour's walking.

"Are you tired already?"

"No, of course not!" he sounded almost offended and out of reflex he started walking faster and taking longer strides. Morgana had to laugh at his childish reaction. When he heard her laughter, she was already twenty steps behind him and turned to look at her only to laugh as well.

"I'm sorry." he said, "It's just that I am not used in so much green." he added and with his hand he notioned towards the forest to their left and the green hills around them.

"No trees in Camelot?' she asked.

"Of course there are trees but I am not interested in them." he laughed again and took a deep breath trying to fill his lungs with the fresh air. He had closed his eyes and extended his arms. "Here, it's like another world."

_The Pendragron blood in you feels at home here_, she thought and immediately regretted it.

"Well, then perhaps you shouldn't hurry so much or you'll miss everything in your haste to outrun me." she said in a lighter tone closing the distance between them.

"I was once told that these lands have magic spells that make them so beautiful."

"I have been told the same. When I was a kid I used to believe that if I spent time here I would become magical as well." _Stupid kid I was_, she thought.

"Are you?" he said with a devious and teasing smile on his lips.

"Of course I am. I am a fairy after all." she answered back and they both laughed.

" I don't know about magic but if there spells here making this place beautiful, they have surely given lots of it to you, my queen." he said in the most adorable way.

Morgana could only smile and blush, it was probably one of the best and most original compliments she had ever received.

They continued their journey towards the Gardens talking. She talked about her parents and she learned how Arthur's mother died in a car accident when he was only five. Morgana wasn't even born then.

"It has been so much time that I barely remember any of it." he said about the time right after Lady Sophie's death.

Morgana talked about her mother as well. "We never got along, we didn't even have a normal mother-daughter relationship. We were too alike and too different at the same time." she had even let it slip that her father was pretty much non-existent in her childhood; it was as if he never existed and Morgana had no memory of him except for dinners and celebrations. Arthur had looked at her with sympathy and mumbled something to himself.

By the time, they reached the top of the hill that hid the Apple Gardens they knew each other better than any of them would want to. She had no idea why it was so easy to open up to him, it scared her a lot.

The Apple Gardens were a magnificent sight to behold, a valley surrounded by hills filled with orchards of old trees. At this time of the year, the apples were ready to be harvested and from were the two of them stood it was like watching a narrow sea of red flowers on trees with white trunks.

She heard Arthur's gasp as he took in the landscape for the first time in his life and she was happy with herself for taking him there. He looked all around for at least five minutes and Morgana couldn't help being proud of her country. She put a hand on his shoulder and he turned mesmerized towards her.

"There is also a small waterfall over there to the east" she said and showed where the hills were steeper "and the river continues to the east to a lake." this time she showed to the opposite direction. "Some claim that it's the Lake of Avalon that Morgan and Arthur crossed long ago."

At that Arthur turned and looked at her with a look that made her feel uncomfortable to say the least and only then she realized that their faces were closer that they ever should. He felt it too and took a step back.

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><p>They had been too close; and not only physically. All day they have been connecting with each other in another way, too. Sharing experiences, thoughts, jokes. He realized all that when he felt her breath on his cheek and turned to find her eyes and her lips so close it was a miracle he didn't go for them.<p>

It was magical here and it was easy to feel like it was a dream; at least that's what he had thought when he first saw it. The valley with its river and the trees; the white trees and the red apples on them. He felt content when he looked at the landscape.

_When did I turn into such a romantic soul?_ He thought but he knew that this magical place; he couldn't find another word to describe it, would have the same impact on anyone. _Merlin would probably cry if he saw it._

They made their descent with the help of the steps that were carved on the hill and soon enough they were among the famous apple trees. _The Avalon of the Apple Trees._ He now saw that the trunks that seemed white from afar were instead a peculiar gray brown color that made them look even older.

"I would really like to see the tree with the carvings."

She laughed at the idea. "Are you sure? What if you see letters as well? What if you wish to fulfill the Promise then?" she was teasing but he felt that she was freaked out by the idea.

Would it really be that difficult for her to marry him? She was a queen and a queen serves her people. He was willing to marry a woman he didn't want for Camelot and for his father and that woman would eventually be Morgana. The only thing that was needed now was to make her fall for him and it wouldn't be very difficult from what he thought.

_She is lonely and that crown is making her delicate neck ache_. _Soon enough I will hold your heart_, he thought but unlike a week ago when this sounded like a foul and evil plan now he was more than willing to have her for him. And it wasn't love; desire and passion sounded better. Besides, he hardly knew her. If things were different a night with her and his cravings would be settled.

She led him through the trees until they came across a small wooden bridge, they crossed it and he noticed that as they moved the trees seemed older and older. Some had weird shapes with thir branches in grotesque angles until they reached the far end of the Garden. He expected to see an ugly gray tree with rotten fruit hanging from it but instead what he saw was a normal apple tree. And in this garden normal meant tall, with a dark brown trunk, green leaves and crimson red fruits.

"So what do _you _see in its trunk, my lord?"

Honestly, he hoped he could she letters on that thing. He stared at it for a few minutes, he looked at it very carefully, trying to discover a letter or a shape, he even looked at it upside down; Morgana had laughed at that, but there was nothing there to see.

"Alright I give up." he said with a sigh and laughed. "People actually see something here?"

"They do and believe very strongly that they're right." she answered and sat down on the ground and closed her eyes to enjoy the peace and quiet of the place.

He sat beside her but not before noticing how perfectly she fit in the scenery. She truly was a LeFay, hehad never expected to admit something like that; not even to himself, but amongst the beauty of the Gardens, she looked even more gorgeous. For a moment he even pictured her in a medieval gown walking among the apple trees whispering incantations. He couldn't resist picturing an older version of himself holding her hand and kissing her.

_It isn't so bad when you think about it, is it?_

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><p><strong>OK! We had some Arthur POV and two knights, Leo and Gavin, which are Leon and Gawain of course... We had a very "close" moment, some references to the Greats... Did you like it?<strong>

**PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know if it sucks...**


	6. The Names

**Hello again! :D I know it's taking me long to update and I'm sorry but I'm having serious inspirational problems right now! I would also like to thank everyone about their reviews; they're AMAZING! Here's the next chapter! ENJOY :D**

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><p>"So this is where everything started?" Arthur asked interrupting her from whatever she was thinking.<p>

"Supposedly, yes. They say that underneath these apple trees lay the ruins of the old Avalon, the house of the enchantress Morgan." she said moving her fingers as if she was performing magic. She looked exhausted by thinking about the past and the Promise.

"Explain to me why you're so negative towards the Promise. I thought that the LeFays were proud of it, that you wished to fulfill it." he asked and Morgana saw that he really was interested; not indiscreet, just interested to understand her hesitation and understand her.

"It's more complicated than that." she started and while she struggled to find the right words she felt his eyes on her face. "Every woman in my family has lived with the burden of the Promise on their shoulders, every single one was forced into an unhappy marriage with a total stranger to please everyone else; her council, her people."

He looked away when she said that and the queen realized that he must think of her as a selfish ruler who cares not about her subjects. She suddenly felt ashamed of herself.

"I know it sounds selfish and naive and I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. You have every right to be selfish with your life, Morgana. I should be the one that's sorry. I never knew."

She could only give him a look of sympathy. He was really kind and sweet when he wanted to.

_Careful now, Morgana. They fancy him as The Arthur._

"I hope you know that all of this happens mostly because of your name, right?" she said trying to escape the grim conversation about unhappy marriages and depression.

"My name?" he looked puzzled and Morgana realized his thoughts had gone to his last name.

"Arthur. And your father's name is Uther." she explained and saw that now he understood. "It's all one big coincidence."

"And I thought it was because of my good looks." he said laughing and she couldn't help it but join as well.

"Imagine if there was a Merlin around." Morgana laughed even louder but Arthur was silent and smirked at her deviously. "What?"

"Well, actually, there is one."

"What?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're joking, right?"

"I don't. My best friend's name is Merlin. We met at college, his mother was obsessed with the Arthurian legends and named her only son after the King's wizard."

They laughed again.

"This is hilarious." she exclaimed after awhile. "I mean what are the odds?"

"Well, at least he isn't a wizard." Arthur said. "As far as I know."

Morgana laughed at look at the old tree that was supposed to unite them. She was sitting cross-legged on the grass.

"And there's this knight of yours."

"Knight? Who? Leo?" Morgana shook her head. "I don't understand."

_He must have been terrible in history. No wonder he doesn't know this._

"Gavin is a variation of Gawain. How freaked out are you now?"

He exhaled with a sigh. "A lot." a chuckle escaped him. "How is something like this even possible?"

"I have no idea." the queen replied. _What if these coincidences have a meaning? No, Morgana, NO! If you start thinking like that, soon enough you'll start believing in the Promise as well. _"I hope you don't have a Guinevere somewhere in Camelot."

She said it as a joke to lighten the mood; to make him laugh again but he had the same look on his face when she mentioned Merlin's name. She looked at him in disbelief and shock.

"You know what? Perhaps we shouldn't talk about that. Especially here." he said at showed all around him.

Morgana had thought the same but she was really intrigued now. _Could there be a Guinevere in Arthur's life? If so I might as well marry him tomorrow. I swear I will. _"Now you have to tell me. I promise I can take it." _Sort of._

"There's a friend, her name is Gwyneth but I call her Gwen."

_Gwyneth? Close enough. _"Well, that only sounds like Gwenhyfar but it's not the name of the Queen. I think we're safe from your friend." _Girlfriend most likely._

"Yeah, I suppose so. And then you have Agravaine in your council."

It took him only to speak his name to ruin her mood. "Oh, please! Enough with the names! The Arthurian Legend is our people's history and people have been using the names of the heroes. I'm sure that you have a subject called Lancelot, as well!"

Arthur's eyes were clouded; apparently he wasn't expecting such a change in Morgana's spirit, the laughter faded away from his lips and he stared at the queen who avoided his gaze watching the sky or the trees that surrounded them.

"I hadn't realized that your Majesty disliked Sir Agravaine so much."

"Well, now you know." Morgana said and the next moment she comprehended what she had uttered. Agravaine was her least favourite person in the whole world but he was still her councilor and his loyalties lied with her, at least until now, and Arthur was practically a stranger and Uther's son.

"I...What I meant-" she mumbled but too late the damage was done.

"It's alright, Morgana. I understand. I _dislike_ half of my fathers allies,too." He had that innocent, honest smile again, the one that made Morgana feel that she could trust him. "But why do you have so hostile feelings towards him?"

_And that was too brisk, prince. Did you expect me to tell you that he destroyed my kingdom with his ill council? That he turn my parents against each other? That he's probably the richest man in my kingdom and the most powerful? That he has a claim on my throne should anything happen to me? That I'm scared for my life?_

"It's not something I can easily explain."

"You don't want to tell me. That's fine." he said and smiled at her once more. "Will you tell me what you believe about all this?"

"About what?"

"The Promise."

she suddenly felt uncomfortable again. Before they were making jokes about names but now he wanted to make serious conversation. The air seemed a little colder even though it was midday and she crossed her arms tightly but he noticed and put his coat around her arms. His hands were on her shoulders and he took advantage of his noble gesture to sit a little closer to her.

"I believe that it is history that has been retold so many times that you no longer know what is true! Sure King Arthur married Guinevere and Morgan later but we don't know what happened in the in-between. I even doubt she was his half-sister. There are so many different versions to the Arthurian Legend, it is especially difficult to separate fact from fiction."

"But some things are real and we know it. For example, your ancestry. You are descended directly from the Greats."

_Unlike your bloodline which is so frequently questioned. Historians still don't know if Constantine was truly Arthur's cousin or a mere general who resumed the governance of Camelot after the King died._

"I'm a realist, Arthur. I find it hard to believe in fairy tales and magic and I find it _impossible _to believethat either me or my daughter or my granddaughter will be the Great Queen reborn and will marry a man who is the Great King. It's all a folk's tale that speaks of hope for better days; days of prosperity and wealth for the kingdom."

He had nothing to say to that and Morgana felt relieved to speak her mind to a person. Up until now her arguments were wasted in inner conversations with herself.

"You say you don't believe in magic but you're the product of magic." he finally said and looked eagerly for an answer but Morgana was too puzzled by his question.

"The female heirs. I might not know that Gavin is a variant for Gawain but I know that the straight line that connects you to the Greats is consisted by women only."

Now it was Morgana's turn to be silent. In truth, she had thought of that many times herself. Forty-five queens had ruled Avalonea before her all with the same _curse_ of bearing their husbands only one child, a girl.

"Coincidence." she said and almost rolled her eyes to herself; instead Arthur did. They erupted into a histerical laugh and soon she had tears in her eyes.

It was past midday when they decided that they should probably head back. They had spent hours talking about all sorts of things like they had done the night before at dinner. Arthur offered his hand to help her stand and they crossed the garden again and climbed the hill. When they reached the top, they stopped so the prince could have one last look at the scenery.

"I could stay and stare forever." Morgana said.

He was taller than her so when they stood next to each other her head was a little higher than his shoulder. She was tired by the climb; she had been trying to match Arthur's longer strides all the way up. Now, Morgana was out of breath and she felt as if her feet would give out any moment.

She rested the top of her head on his shoulder and felt his body tense obviously surprised by the queen's gesture. However, he soon relaxed and wrapped one arm around her shoulders so that she rested on his chest and her hand was at his back.

They stayed like that for a while and she was surprised to release that she didn't mind him holding her like that. The Queen would find it inappropriate but Morgana liked it. She had closed her eyes and felt at peace in the arms of that man. She didn't expect it but she was glad that she had given in and agreed to bring the prince here, she was glad she got to know him a little bit more and she was glad that she could see an ally in him.

He broke their embrace and turned towards him. Morgana was almost disappointed but before she could think of anything else his lips were on hers. She was surprised at first but soon she was taken over by want and desire. Her arms flew around his neck while his ran down her spine.

When oxygen was necessary, they broke apart but kept the proximity between them. Their eyes opened almost at the same time and she gave him the most awkward and embarrassed smile she had ; Arthur smiled back and went for a second kiss, which she more than happily granted.

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><p><strong>FINALLY! What did you think? Did you like the last scene? There was also some new info about Agravaine and the appearance of Gwen!<strong>

**I know it's a little smaller than usual but I promise that I'll try and update sooner this time :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW! It might help with the update^^ ;)**


	7. The Traitor

**Here it is! The next chapter right after the kiss!Hope you enjoy it and thank you all for your amazing reviews! I really don't really think that I deserve all this love but thank you!**

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><p>The day had ran more pleasantly than he could ever hope. He had spent all morning with Morgana admiring the avalonian landscape and not three hours ago he had kissed the queen on the top of that hill, from where you could see the Apple Gardens that Avalon was so famous for. He still didn't know what had gotten into him but it was the proximity between them made him act so boldly and grasp Morgana and crush her lips on his.<p>

He probably should have regretted his spontaneity but when he felt that amazing creature respond to his kiss and shifting her body to be closer to him he couldn't help but let passion take over and deepen the kiss. He kissed her again and again like she was essential to him and she didn't complain. She touched the back of his neck, his hair, his arms, his torso. She held tight from his shirt and moaned in his mouth, he held her tight and hugged her even tighter until they were close to suffocating.

"We should go back." she said when they managed to break away from each others lips. "It's almost noon and they'll start looking for us."

_They. Uncle Ambros and Alliser and Agravaine and her guard and his Knights. _

They were quiet all the way back. Morgana avoided his eyes which made him feel uncomfortable but the worst thing was that he didn't know her thoughts, her reaction or where those passionate moments left them. As they walked, Arthur gave in to his impulses once more and took her hand into his. She didn't flinch but he could feel that her muscles were tight and she was nervous. He could almost here her brain working to answer the questions he wanted to ask.

_What was that? What does it mean? Where does it leave us? _And also one more thing that Arthur thought all the time as they walked. _Did you want it? Was it true?_

When he left Camelot three days ago, he aimed for such a moment to come; to kiss the queen; make her fall for him. Back then he thought that it would be a game; that he would play with Morgana as he had played with others. He would win her, marry her and be done with it. Their marriage would be a duty but he would be dutiful in bed and appearances for Camelot.

Now, he didn't know if he was playing a game anymore. He only knew that he liked her; liked her a lot, actually, he knew that he had started to care for her and he could understand her feelings about this arranged marriage and wanted to comfort her. He didn't wish for her to get hurt; she was worth more than that.

But he was uncertain of himself now. She was obviously more than a toy and the kisses and how he enjoyed them worried him even more. Moreover, he couldn't stop himself from thinking the doubt that must have nestled inside Morgana about his motives; she wasn't stupid and she had lived in court long enough to know its treacherous ways and plans.

It's like poker. When you bluff, you try to be cool but all the time you believe that the other players know your secret; that they're thinking you're bluffing. And so you lose.

But what would he lose? His father's approval? The queen's hand? Her crown? Her kingdom? Or her herself?

That last part worried him the most, the prince didn't want Morgana to question him or his feelings or whatever they were. He wanted to be the better man around her. He wanted to come clean to explain everything; but that would only drive her away. He had already lied to her when they talked in the library. He had pretended to be her friend and ally only to gain her trust and trap her afterwards. She believed him back then or so he thought.

_This game is getting more and more complicated by the minute._

When they caught a glimpse of the white mansion, she immediately let go of his hand. He expected that much and didn't speak until they reached the back door. Morgana excused herself coldly and formally stating that she was too tired from the hike and informed him that he would visit Avalon again that night to attend a formal event with the executives of Avalonea's biggest trading companies. When he asked if she would join him, she ignored him and climbed the stairs to her room.

"Here comes the great lover." It was Gavin coming towards him from the end of the hallway.

"Why? What did you hear?" Arthur demanded panicked. _How could he know? No one was around!_ "What are you saying?"

"Whoa! Relax, my friend! I didn't mean anything." Gavin said and put an arm around his shoulders. "Unless something happened... How was your morning with the queen in those famous gardens?"

Arthur escaped his embrace and headed towards his room really irritated.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he shouted as he followed the prince. "What's the matter with you? I was just joking."

Gavin closed the door as he entered Arthur's rooms.

"Are you a complete idiot?" Arthur said as he turned to face his friend. "I didn't realise I had brought Merlin with me!"

The young knight could only stare back at the prince completely lost for words at that sudden wave of frustration and anger. "What-?"

"There are ears everywhere in this castle. The queen told me she doesn't trust half of the people within these walls and you wander around the mansion shouting and calling me a lover? What is wrong with you?"

His friend stayed silent.

"The last thing we need right now is new headlines for the papers assuming that we've got-" Arthur struggled a little with words. "you know...intimate! I would never put Morgana through something like that! It's already bad enough as it is! AS I HAVE DONE IT!"

Gavin held his mouth shut and his eyes on the ground for one more moment before he burst into a hysterical and unbelievably irritating laughter. Arthur should know better than try and put some sense in his tiny little brain. _What a waste of time_, he thought.

"I'm sorry but since when do you care so deeply?" he asked raising his brow. "I thought that you are here just to _woo _her, aren't you?"

"I don't care about her! I care about myself. This would have an impact on both me and her." he said refusing to admit that he was indeed looking out for Morgana.

"Wasn't that the point of our visit? You, her, romantic royal _wooing_?"

"Can you please stop saying that word? It's disturbing."

"Avoiding the question, man." Gavin said. His face lit up and he had the most now-i-understand-what's-going-on-around-here look. "You like her!" he said and laughed again.

"Of course I like her! Have you seen her?" Arthur replied getting all defensive at once. "Wouldn't you like her?"

"That's not what I meant, mate. You like her more than that!" he said with a big grin across his face. "Next thing you'll be falling for her!"

"Don't be an idiot!"

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><p>She had argued hours with herself. About the economics, about the deals, about the prince, about the kiss; everything just seemed to penetrate her thoughts the moment when she wished nothing more but to sleep for a few minutes.<p>

It had been a wonderful day from all aspects. She got a chance to get out of the mansion, skip the HC meeting, visit the Gardens and she kissed Arthur.

Morgana didn't particularly like the fact that her moments with Arthur were the best part about her morning but she would be a fool to deny it. To say the least he was a very talented kisser. The way he had gently picked her up from the ground when she responded to the kiss and the way he held her tightly across his chest made her shiver even now hours ago.

All the time thinking about it didn't help her decide what she should do next. What would she tell him next time she saw him? How should she act around him? He responded to that kiss with the same passion she did and she was sure that he was thinking the same thing right now.

_Why did this have to happen?_, she thought feeling desperate. _Well, it's not that I didn't enjoy it! OH, SHIT! That's exactly what I needed right now!_,_ s_he said with a tone of sarcasm.

There was a knock on the door and Morgana left her inner conversations for another time. She didn't particularly like the fact that she was postponing the matter that had aroused concerning herself and Arthur but she didn't have another choice.

For five hours she lay on her bed or stared at the mansion's gardens from her window convinced that she would find a solution to the problem but all she could think was how enjoyable the problem was. Arthur's lips hadn't left her one moment alone to gather her thoughts and become queen again, instead she was a young woman that had to deal with her attraction for a man she really shouldn't feel attracted to.

"Ma'am, I was wondering if you will be joining the prince and his party to Avalon tonight?" Anna had entered the room and expected an answer from the queen whose eyes were glued to the window. "Ma'am?"

"Yes?" Morgana asked as she brought herself back to reality.

"The dinner, ma'am. Will you attend it?"

"Oh." she really didn't want to go. He would be there and it would be awkward and weird and unbearable. In addition, every time he would look at her she would be reminded of their _interaction _and it was a fact that she could hardly think of anything else already. "Yes, I will. Call Alicia and Anton to help me get ready."

Anna bowed her head and left the room. Morgana hurried herself to her closet to choose her clothes for the night. Perhaps a quest into her double door heaven of clothes would help her take her mind of Arthur.

That plan didn't go exactly as she had predicted. In the one hand, she did stop thinking about their kiss and his body and all the rest but on the other she was thinking what piece of clothe would make him grab her and kiss her again.

"MORGANA GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF!" she screamed at her reflection but the woman there dressed in a red velvet dress was smirking and thinking all sorts of un-queenly things she could do with the prince.

_This is so bad!_ She thought and she was right.

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><p>Arthur had decided to speak privately with Agravaine before he took off to Avalon. Of course, he would be at the dinner, too, but it was better to deal with the man before that. After his conversation with Morgana and the way she had spoken about him, he was starting to dislike him quite a lot himself. To be honest, he hated how scared and intimidated Morgana had sounded and how upset only his name had made.<p>

At first sight, he didn't look that much of a threat. His face was rather kind, intelligent but not cunning. He knew that Agravaine held significant power in Morgana's realm; he was heir to the lands of Caerleon and Carlisle and one of the wealthiest and most respected men in Avalonea. If he trully was a threat to the queen, then she was in serious trouble making herself an enemy like Agravaine.

Arthur remembered then that his father had a spy close to Morgana, somewhere in this palace and he couldn't help but wonder if that man could be him. _But why would he pledge his allegiance to Camelot instead of Avalon?_

Still he had to be very careful. If Agravaine proved to be innocent and the informer was someone else, he would be accused by the crown probably causing war between the two realms. That's why he had sent his uncle to subtly invite him to his chambers.

There was a knock on his door and his uncle entered followed by Agravaine.

"Lord Agravaine, sire." he announced and excused himself from the living room that Arthur was given during his stay.

"Ah, my lord. I'm so glad you could make it. Please sit." the prince said and motioned towards the sofa that was situated in the middle of the room. "Something to drink?"

Agravaine made himself comfortable at the white sofa and nodded in agreement when he saw Arthur approaching a small stand with a number of glass bottles on it.

"Whiskey?"

"Sure."

When Arthur prepared their drinks, he handed one glass to him, kept the other for himself and sat on the opposite couch.

"I have to admit that I'm quite surprised that you have asked to see me, your Grace." Agravaine said.

"From what I know, you were King Hector's economical advisor and my associates have discovered that the debt of Avalonea to the Treasury started building up in the years that the King reigned."

"I do not understand what you're implying, my lord." he said but to Arthur's surprise he wasn't uncomfortable or the least bit concerned of the prince's indirect accusations. He was sipping casually on his drink and looked absolutely relaxed. That alerted Arthur even more.

"I understand that at that time the late queen Morgaine was indisposed, incapable of ruling her country due to a serious sickness and that role fell on the hands of her husband, who apparently made some terrible choices." the prince paused and searched the other man's face for any reaction but found none. "Leading Avalonea to the grievous position that we know today and that queen Morgana is trying to fix."

Agravaine waited for the young prince to finish and then smiled at him.

"You mean the grievous position that has made Avalonea vulnerable and weak and at Camelot's mercy to take advantage of her." he said taking Arthur aback with his candor. _Did he just admit that he is working for my father?_ Arthur wondered. "Tell me, your Grace, why would you complain about that?"

Arthur was still lost for words. This was a delicate matter and he was dangerously close to either revealing a known ally to his crown or accusing a HC member that he's a traitor.

"I believe I know why you have called me here today, my lord." Agravaine said. "Surely your father has talked about me but from what I understand he hadn't revealed my identity to you."

_I knew it_, Arthur thought. However he wasn't sure if he was happy about it.

"I'm the informer! I have been working with and _for _your father for the past seven years slowly destroying Avalon so that when the right time came Albion would pick up the pieces." he added and Arthur felt his jaw dropping.

_Seven years? King Hector still had the reins back then. Queen Morgaine had recovered a few months before his death until she died two years ago and Morgana took the throne. Since when have my father and this man been weaving this web around house LeFay? Around Morgana?_

"Don't worry, your Grace. I'm a loyal servant of your father and you, of course." he said with a smile on his face and stood up heading towards the door. "However, I wish to keep my identity a secret."

The prince nodded in agreement but before his visitor reached the door he asked one last thing. "Why is the queen scared of you?"

"Is she now?" he said and Arthur almost regretted telling him. Morgana was already vulnerable enough. "I suppose it's because of the power I hold, the lands, the wealth and the claim to the throne."

"What throne?" Arthur asked unable to believe the words that came out of Agravaine's mouth.

"Don't you know who I am, my prince?" he asked pretending to be insulted by his lack of knowledge. "The queen's father, Hector, was my mother's brother. I'm the queen's first cousin!"

"So what? The crown passes down to the female heir with the LeFay name. You couldn't possibly claim the throne of Avalonea, the realm wouldn't allow it." Arthur said trying to defend Morgana's rights.

"Indeed, my claim is weak and from the King's side but it's still a claim. If any ill should befall the queen, I'm the only heir they have. Not to mention the ways and resources to erase the crown's debt and drive the kingdom out of this crisis." he finished with a huge smile of superiority on his face.

Arthur suddenly felt terrified for Morgana's life. _"If any ill should befall the queen...". _That's what he had said. She was right not to trust him. He had to find a way to keep this man away from her; to keep her safe.

"So this is what my father has promised you? The throne of Avalon?" It didn't make sense. His father wanted Avalonea and Albion united under Arthur. Why would he give it away to Agravaine?

"No, my lord. Not the throne. The throne will be yours after your marriage with Morgana. I will be granted regency of Avalonea when you're absent." he said and left the room.

_This game is getting dangerous, extremely dangerous._

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><p><strong>This was it, guys!<strong>** I hope you liked it! I know it's getting really complicated with scheming and traitors and informers but it's all George Martin's fault because ASOIAF has been influancing me for the past six months!**

**Anyway, we got both Arthur's and Morgana's thoughts on their kiss and we learnt that Agravaine is the guy working for Uther!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! EVERYTIME SOMEONE REVIEWS, A WRITER GETS AN EPIPHANY! :D  
><strong>


	8. The Library

**I know I'm a terrible person and you have every right to hate me for making you wait so long for this chapter but I've been pretty busy lately. Anyway I hope you like it and please review!**

**Also, for some stupid reason FF didn't let people review on the previous chapter! I just wanted to say thank you to the people who PMed the reviews to me! I hope it doesn't happen again :D**

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><p>Arthur stood as still as an ice-cube in the middle of his chambers trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now. Apparently, Agravaine was on his father's side and had done his best to insure Albion's interest in the expense of Morgana's. He was also terrified for the queen's life. Agravaine had given him a pretty obvious hint that at some point after their still unsure wedding something would happen to her. It made him sick to think that an innocent person would get hurt because of his father's and Agravaine's greed and ambition.<p>

He still couldn't believe that his father had made such a horrific deal with a man like Agravaine. Arthur knew that Uther was ambitious in every possible way; he wished for power, to rule more lands, to make Albion the most powerful kingdom and most of all he wished to be remembered as the Great King.

But what could he do to stop his plans? How could he go against his king, against his own kingdom just to protect a woman? Didn't that make him a traitor to Albion?

The thoughts kept him on edge for a long time and not even the alcohol could help him ease his nerves. He was at the third glass of scotch when he decided to call his father and learn straight from the source what the deal his king and Agravaine had struck to bring Morgana down. The prince knew it would be late in Camelot but he simply couldn't wait till morning; he would meet the queen soon and he wanted to look at her and know if he would play a part in her downfall.

"Arthur! What is it?" he heard Uther's voice from the other end of the line.

"I spoke with Lord Agravaine, father." he said knowing that the king would understand what his words meant.

There was a long sigh at the other end of the phone and Arthur almost saw his father lowering his head and taking that disappointed face of his; the one the prince had seen a handful of times.

"Why would you do that, Arthur?" Uther demanded and Arthur was right about the way his father felt; he could hear the disappointment in his voice even through the phone. "Why were you so stupid?"

"I have to know the whole deal!" Arthur replied and felt his anger growing inside him. "You're moving me around like a chess pawn and I do what you say because you're my father and my king but I'm the future king no matter how much you hate that! That's why I want to know exactly what deal you have struck with Agravaine; what you promised him and what will happen to Morgana!"

The pause that followed irritated him even more.

"We shouldn't be having this conversation through the phone-"

"I DON'T CARE WHO'S LISTENING! ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, FATHER!" he screamed back.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BOY? THIS IS YOUR KING YOU'RE TALKING TO! KEEP THAT IN MIND!"

Arthur used all his self-control to keep himself calm. Shouting would not lead anywhere and he needed those answers.

"Now, tell me. How's it going with the girl? Are you under her skin yet?" he demanded.

The prince debated with the idea of telling him the truth but one, even he didn't know what was going on between him and Morgana, and two, his father seemed too much like the villain in this story now.

"I don't know! Probably not." he said rubbing his eyes. Most likely, the whiskey had started affecting him.

"That's alright. She will soon enough feel the pressure of the circumstances and realise how profitable this union is."

"What does that even mean? What are you doing, father?" Arthur asked feeling the sting of fear but tried not to show it.

"She still thinks she's safe on her throne with people she trusts around her." his father said. "When that changes, she will feel the loneliness and she will choke."

Arthur was disgusted by the sound of pleasure in his father's voice. He wasn't used in this sort of political games; he was the party animal up to a few months ago. Now all he felt was exhaustion and sadness.

"Ambros told me you would attend a dinner tonight. What happened?" Uther inquired.

"I am I just haven't left for Avalon yet." the prince replied feeling violated by the fact that he was constantly inspected.

"Then you better get going!" he ordered. "Arthur, you're there for a reason. Remember that!" his father said and hung up.

"It was nice talking to you, dad. I'm fine, by the way." the prince said to his phone.

"Talking to yourself again?"

The prince turned around to face his glib friend, Gavin. Apparently, he had entered moments ago, failing to knock yet again.

"Are you ready to go? Cause the car is waiting." he urged.

"Has Morgana left yet?" he asked. He still had to find a way to protect her and decipher his father's words.

"No. But she will soon enough."

Arthur put his drink down, took his jacket and left his room alongside his friend.

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><p>The hall was full when Morgana entered. The guard announced her arrival and everyone turned towards the door bowing in the presence of the queen. She returned every smile and every nod she received entering the hall and then greeted the most extinguished of her guests separately, a task that she often found boring and tried to avoid. However, tonight she felt her spirits lifted and her mood to be too good for any dull royal task to destroy.<p>

She hadn't felt this way in a long time; she was always worried and stressed out about her country but tonight it would be all about her. She had put on her most beautiful dress, her favourite shoes and she finally felt like a woman of her age again! She was 23 and when you're 23 you don't worry sick of economics or lock yourself up in your office with a pile of papers as your companions.

But things were getting better now, she was walking on the right road and she couldn't be happier about it. Her life was improving and she was more than grateful for it. For the first time in these last 4 years, she felt an attraction to a man, even if he was Arthur Pendragon, and the feeling of it was the least bit refreshing and new. It was like she was growing old when she should be enjoying life.

Slowly she made her way towards Arthur who was with one of his knights.

"Good evening, your Grace." she said and he turned around surprised to find her there.

The man he was speaking with had seen her approaching but decided to let her take him by surprise instead of warning him for the queen's arrival. Morgana had thought that he would have noticed her entering the room but she enjoyed the shocked look on his face right now as he took in her whole figure in the red dress she had chosen. To say the least he was pleased with what he saw. He was slightly flushed, his eyes were red and Morgana noticed that his glass was almost empty.

"Well, good evening to you too, your Majesty." he said after examining her from head to toe and giving a small bow. "May I say that you look splendid tonight."

"That's very kind of you. Thank you." she said and almost rolled her eyes to herself for the fake courtesies, especially when all she could think was the amount of the highly inappropriate things she could do with him.

The blonde knight bowed too and Morgana acknowledged him with a nod and a smile, he then leaned into Arthur and whispered something in his ear.

"I should leave you. Excuse me, your Majesty. Your Grace." he said and bowed again to Morgana and then Arthur.

"I hope he didn't say something bad about me." the queen said teasingly.

"On the contrary, he wasn't sure if he should leave me alone with such a beautiful woman." he replied laughing.

"Should I be worried then?" _Please, say that I should. OH, MORGANA SHUT UP!_

"Leo has seen bad Arthur but I'm still a prince, my lady. So no, you shouldn't be worried." he said, took her hand and kissed it lightly. "Not very much at least."

Those were his last words and then he was gone leaving Morgana alone to figure out their meaning.

For the rest of the night there was no sign of Arthur. The queen was always engaged in a conversation so she never had the chance to actually go look for him and the dinner was delayed because Sir Alliser still hadn't arrived yet and Morgana was determined to not start without her right-hand man by her side. She had charged Anna with the duty of finding him and discover what took so long. So when she saw her secretary approaching, she was hoping to hear good news.

"Excuse me, ladies." she said to the party she was with and made her way towards the young woman.

"Any news from Alliser?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. I called the palace and they told me they left but I can't reach neither him nor his driver on their cellphones. It's possible that they'll arrive at any minute."

"Let's hope so. Thank you, Anna." Morgana said.

"Ma'am, that's not all." she said stopping the queen before leaving.

"Well, what is it then?" she asked anxious to get back to her guests.

"Prince Arthur has sent me. He's at the library on the third floor waiting for you. He didn't say why." Anna informed her.

"Oh- Um- I better go see what he wants then. Thank you." she said in the most casual way she could master but her heartbeat was off the charts and her face changed so many shades of red that she knew that Anna must have seen right through her.

She made her way to the third floor as quickly as she could without drawing too much attention to her person and was soon in front of the library door, so she knocked and entered.

"Your Grace?" she asked trying to spot him in the large room. He was standing by the office closest to the door. The huge library was dark except for the lamb on the mahogany table next to which Arthur was so she really couldn't see anything else but him. She turned to close the door behind her making the room even darker than before. In the meantime, he put down his drink and made his way towards her in hurried steps that Morgana could hear echo on the library's floor.

She turned to face him and found him alarmingly close to her and could smell the alcohol on his breath, she had had two glasses of champagne herself but she suspected that Arthur had preferred something stronger than sparkling wine.

"I thought that we could dispense with the courtesies in here." he said, his voice low and close to her ear before he pushed her on the door and kissed her. It was deep and desperate like he couldn't have enough of her at one time. His hands roamed her exposed back, clinging to the fabric of her dress, pulling her closer to him, caressing her neck, making her crazy.

"You always pull your hair up. Why do you do that?" he asked in a desperate tone and didn't wait for an answer as he kissed her again with the same, if not more, excitement.

Morgana lost the earth beneath her feet as he moved his mouth to her jaw and the nape of her neck; that was her sensitive spot and his lips knew exactly what they were doing. A moan escaped her and Arthur stopped exploring her neck and looked at her.

He suddenly let go and headed for the desk where he had left his glass and he swallowed its contents.

"What's wrong?" she asked surprised.

"What's wrong? Seriously, Morgana? What are you blind?" he yelled.

She felt like she was being scolded again like when she was 10 and her mother tried to teach her how to be a great queen.

"I don't understand!" she shouted back at him. Her temper was rising.

"I- I like you." he said emphasizing on every word. "God, I do more than like you and I shouldn't!"

Morgana had nothing to say to that. In fact, she had no idea whether she should be happy or not. On the one hand, he clearly stated that he has feelings for her and on the other he said he shouldn't have.

"Arthur, perhaps you had too much to drink." she said approaching and tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he avoided her touch taking a few steps further away from her.

"No, I can't do this! It's too- And you're too-" he mumbled incoherently. He grabbed her from her arms and looked deep into her eyes. "I can't stay away from you. Especially, when you parade the room dressed like this. I can't control myself around you. We shouldn't-" the rest of his words were drowned inside his throat as Morgana kissed him hard on the lips.

He responded eagerly as she had guessed he would. They took steps backwards intertwined as they were until they reached the wooden desk. Arthur lifted her from the waist and placed her on it as he positioned himself between her legs. He lifted her dress and ran his hands on her smooth legs. He was working on her neck again and this time moans and whimpers escaped the both of them.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing somewhere in the dark but she ignored it and helped Arthur take off his black jacket. Moments later his cell started buzzing from his jacket's inner pocket, which lay somewhere on the floor.

"They probably wonder where we are!" Arthur said between kisses.

"Anna knows I'm here." she said and her phone started ringing again but this time she recognized the tune. Anna always had a second phone with her, the one meant for emergencies and Morgana had set a different calling tune for that number.

"Something's happened." she said and broke Arthur's grip on her, she searched in the darkness for her purse and found it near the door where it fell when Arthur had kissed her the first time. She opened it and found two missed calls from her secretary's emergency line. Before she could call her, her cell started ringing again for the third time which worried her even more.

"This is Morgana." she said.

"Ma'am, there was an accident. Sir Alliser had an accident on his way to Avalon. He was taken to AC hospital 20 minutes ago, the driver is dead and the minister is in critical condition."

She felt a punch in her stomach as she took in the information.

"My lady?"

"I'll be down in the lobby in 5 minutes. Make sure there's a car to take me to ACH and tell Vivianne to deal with the guests here." Morgana replied. She couldn't believe something like that had happened, not to Sir Alliser, not to him. He was like a father to her; her most trusted advisor; her ally and to some extend her friend.

She felt Arthur's hands around her. "My uncle just told me. I'm sorry." he said. Apparently, he had answered his phone too when Morgana spoke with her secretary. She turned and hugged him not caring how Ambros Pendragon had learnt about the accident.

"I can't believe this. It can't be happening." she said trying not to let her tears fall down.

"I know but you need to be strong. He'll make it. You'll see." he tried to comfort her. He had guessed her connection with the man and he was told before leaving Camelot that Alliser Thorne was the closest thing she had to a father ever since she was born.

"Oh my-!"

"What is it?" he asked worried.

"I was supposed to arrive with him! I wanted to be here earlier so I left without him." she said and this time tears of guilt filled her eyes.

Arthur was speechless as he made a realization totally different from the queen's. "Morgana, this isn't your fault." _It's my father's!_, he thought.

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><p><strong>*evil smile* SO? What did you think? I'm so sorry for the huge cock-blocker! It was really hard for me to not have them f** each other's brains out on that desk but there was an accident and Morgana needed to know!<strong>

**Did you like it? I'm considering changing the rating to M for future chapters where there will be no phones or other ways to stop them... What do you think?**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I appreciate it more than anything :D**

**Thank you for reading**


	9. The Trip

**It's been two months since I last updated. I'm terribly sorry, you have no idea how bad I feel for taking so long but I lost the chapter twice and I had exams at the uni and I still do so it sucks...Thank you for your reviews and I hope you're not too angry with me :) Enjoy!**

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><p>It was his uncle's voice that woke him up the following day. Ambros had stormed inside his room yelling things he couldn't exactly make out in his sleep. He finally opened his eyes when his uncle drew the curtains and the morning light hit him in the face.<p>

The taste on his mouth and the pounding in his head proved that the alcohol he had consumed the previous night was too much even for him. After Morgana had left the library the previous night, he had visited the bar, took a bottle and retired back in the library without being seen by his uncle or friends. There he devoured the bottle and probably passed out. Ambros or Gavin had most likely found him and took him back to the palace.

"ARTHUR, GET UP! GO HAVE A BATH TO WASH THE STINK OFF OF YOU AND GET READY!" his uncle screamed trying to wake him up not realizing that his nephew's headache was so severe he couldn't stand it. "COME ON ARTHUR!"

The prince fearing that his uncle's next move would be either to drag him from the bed or empty a bucket of cold water on his head got up as quickly as his hangover-ed self allowed him to.

"Uncle, have mercy. My head is killing me." he whispered not standing his own voice.

"Glad it does. Do you know at what state Leo found you last night?"

"I can probably imagine." the prince said trying to balance his way towards the bathroom door.

"Go wash yourself and get ready as soon as possible! We're leaving in two hours!" he said.

Arthur nodded without really listening to what his uncle said. When his words sunk in, he realized they didn't make any sense. _Leaving? We're going back to Camelot? What? No, I can't leave her!_

"Uncle, where are we going?" he asked.

"We're expected at Sir Alliser's funeral, Arthur. If the alcohol levels in your blood last night were lower, you would know about it." he said annoyed with his nephew's immaturity and irresponsibility.

_So he didn't make it after all..._

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><p>It was a tough day to say the least. She had gone straight to Avalon Central Hospital after Anna had broken the news of Sir Alliser's accident. She had spent all night in the ER along with Alliser's wife whom she tried really hard to console and support during the hours of waiting.<p>

Some hours after her arrival, Alliser's daughter had joined them worried sick about her father and his state. Unfortunately, the two women had no news to share with her. All they knew was that he was in surgery and the doctors were doing their best to save his life. Morgana had demanded more information from the nursers and the poor ladies had tried their best to please their queen but unfortunately there was no word from the OR.

It was at about 5 o'clock in the morning that the doctors came to see them only to inform the family and the queen that Alliser Thorne had succumbed to his injuries and there was nothing they could do to save him. Morgana had tried to remain calm and help her late adviser's wife and daughter to deal with their grief as best as she could. However, she soon realised that it would be better if she just left them alone; she felt like an intruder of their family's affairs no matter how close she was to the late man.

She left the hospital a few hours later to make sure everything was prepared for her dear friend's funeral. He was a member of the HC so that meant that a public burial was in order with all the honors that this included. She assigned Lady Vivianne to prepare all that was necessary for the ritual as soon as possible. Lady Thorne herself had asked her between her cries to make sure that the funeral was held right away and Morgana didn't want to displease her. According to Lady Vivianne, the burial could be held that same day at noon so Morgana, respecting Ser Alliser's wife's wishes, agreed.

After that she found herself in the palace getting rid of the red dress she was wearing the night before and taking a relaxing bath. Only then did she allow herself to think of what had happened.

Alliser Thorne, her favorite, her mother's favorite, was dead and she could have easily been in his place. She was all alone again, her most trusted and respected adviser was a cold corpse at the morgue of ACH and there was nothing she could do. He was the best among her HC, not just because he was smart and kind, but because she knew that he truly cared about her. He had treated her like his own daughter when she was a child. He was always present at every birthday and he was the one who found her crying in her corner at the palace's kitchens every time she had a fight with her mother. Even Queen Morgaine valued him more than anyone, she had awarded him titles and land and raised his wife to ladyship. And now he was gone and all she wanted to do was cry.

"Why did this have to happen now?" she said to herself. "Now, that I have to deal with Albion and Uther and Arthur and most of all, Agravaine."

_Arthur... _She hadn't thought about him all night but now that she mentioned it their moments came back and she couldn't help a tiny smile from forming in her lips. They had been so close in that library, so both desperate for each other. That connection between them, the failure to resist each other, it kept building and building and Morgana feared that at some point either one would burst or at least that's how she felt. Arthur was the only ray of sunlight in that gloomy and rainy day she was having.

"Ma'am?" she heard her maid who knocked lightly on her bathroom door. "It's 9 o'clock and Miss Anna asked me to inform your HC meeting is in 30 minutes."

"Thank you. I'll be ready in time." she said and admired how quickly time had flew. She got out of her bath and prepared herself to meet the fools and idiots that were left in her council now.

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><p>The funeral was equal to the late man's status. Avalonea's elite, officers, members of state, the HC members and their families, the ambassadors of the other kingdoms and generally anyone that was important in Avalon had attended to honor Alliser Thorne.<p>

The queen was there, of course, next to the dead man's wife. He noticed that black wasn't her color. She looked too pale, almost sick in her black clothes. She often leaned to Lady Thorne and whispered something in her ear probably trying to comfort the poor woman.

Arthur couldn't really see Morgana due to the big black glasses she was wearing, so it was impossible to see if she was crying herself but he could bet her eyes would be red and there would be black circles under them. That man had played an important role to the young queen's life and now she was robbed of him because of his own father.

The guilt of knowing that was his constant companion ever since the previous night. All morning, he couldn't rid himself of the thoughts that he was partially responsible for this man's death. What he was even more terrified of was that the person being buried right now could have easily been Morgana instead of her right-hand man and he couldn't even believe what he would do if that scenario had happened.

Ironically, Arthur was more scared than Morgana ever was probably because he knew that it was her death his father was aiming at and he had made a promise to himself to find a way to protect her from him. He had still to figure out how he would get the both of them out of the mess others had thrown them into.

For now however, he had decided that the only way to protect her would be to be as close as possible. Surely, his father wouldn't attempt anything if his son was with the queen and the king would also be pleased to hear that his son was doing his best to approach the young and naive Morgana. It was hilarious how different Arthur's motives were and he had to admit that the prospect of attaching himself to the queen was more than pleasant and desirable.

Among all these people, he didn't have the chance to speak to her as he so much wished to. He was terrified that every passing minute that passed she was in even bigger danger. The first attempt to take her life had failed but that didn't mean that his father and Agravaine wouldn't try again. But how to tell her that? How to protect her without making her hate him? Without provoking her anger and fury?

He knocked the door and waited. He heard her voice inviting him inside so he entered eager to see her again in private. What had happened in the library had pretty much cleared the air between them. No matter how drunk he was, the sense of her lips lingered on his and his mind was fussy just at the thought of having her so close, touching her.

The room was dark except for a floor lamp placed by the window behind a sofa on which Morgana sat. She still wore the black dress from the funeral and her glasses lay on the sofa next to her. When she saw him, her lips formed a tiny sad smile.

"How are you?" he asked as he approached. She didn't answer, only stood up and placed her arms around his arms resting her head on his chest. Arthur, who was at first surprised, held her tight in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She stayed silent for awhile and he waited until she was ready to talk.

"It's not fair." she finally said and only then did Arthur realized that she had been crying all this time. He broke their embrace and cupped her face with his hands.

"Please, don't cry, Morgana." he said and the tears increased. "Shh...It's gonna be alright." he said and took her in his arms again.

"No, they won't. I was so close, Arthur. So close to success. For the first time in three years, I thought that I was going to make it after all. And-" her voice died in a sob "and now he is gone. But I needed him."

For the second time he left her and hold her from her shoulders. "You don't need anyone to rule your kingdom. You're Morgana, you're the queen and you know all the other titles." he joked trying to cheer her up and succeeded. "You'll get through this." she nodded and Arthur wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "There. That's better. Now I'm going to kiss you. Do you have any objection to that?"

Her laughter was louder this time and he didn't even give her the opportunity to answer before he crushed his lips on hers in a sweet, tender kiss. His arms went down to her waist and she circled hers around her neck bringing them even closer.

"How are you feeling now?" he said slightly cocky.

"A little better." she answered in an uninterested tone.

"A little? I can't accept that." he pretended to be offended and tackled her on the sofa. A surprised noise came from her mouth but he silenced her with another kiss.

"I'm glad you're here." she said when they broke their kiss.

"I couldn't be happier myself." he said and they sat in each other's arms. She lay on his chest and watched they intertwined hands taking deep breaths to calm herself. He felt contempt there, with Morgana in his arms, and enjoyed the silence that followed.

"Let's leave." he finally said and sensed her growing tense.

"Leave?" she sounded surprised.

"Yes. You need to take a break from Avalon and we can go somewhere and escape all this chaos." he said and sounded stupid even to himself. Why would she go anywhere with him?

He remained silent processing his request and Arthur prepared himself for rejection.

"I think you're right." she said surprising him. "I want to go somewhere away from here and I know exactly where." she said and smiled before kissing him.

Arthur couldn't believe that his plan of keeping her safe might actually work."So when do we leave?" he asked eagerly.

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><p>She didn't want to admit it but leaving Avalon was the best decision she had made in a very long time. They had the left the capitol two days after Arthur suggested it. She had to appoint a new minister of finance, who she found in the face of Mr Castell. Two weeks ago, he was the minister of trading relations, a close affiliate of Ser Alliser, which made him the perfect candidate. She couldn't help but smile when she remembered Agravaine's face at her announcement at the HC. The idiot expected himself to take the ministry and to be named head of the HC. Morgana hadn't named anyone as head of her council yet and she planned to when she returned from her little excursion.<p>

The queen had decided that one of her mother's estates would be the safest place for the two of them to go. She had chosen a mansion in the north of her country, where she knew they would be safe from curious eyes and her arrival would be kept a secret. The household was trustworthy, every single one of them, she knew and trusted personally, and they were loyal to her and her family. Her mother had used that house as sanctuary when the crown was to heavy.

No one but very few people knew that the prince of Albion was with her. The party from Albion had departed in the morning of her own departure. The press had the show it deserved, where the queen bid farewell to her new allies and promised to restart the negotiations once everything in Avalonea was settled. Arthur had gotten into one the big black cars that where supposed to take him and the rest of his company to the airport.

The car went to the airport but Arthur didn't. Instead, a blonde man that looked like the prince was photographed in the prince's car arriving at Camelot. Of course, Uther knew where his son was and Morgana found it funny cause the king had allowed this "trip" probably hoping that Arthur would charm Morgana into marriage. Of her own people, only her Anna and Lady Vivianne, knew where she really was. The rest were only aware that she had left the avalonian mansion.

The door knocked and Morgana stood up from bed still in her nightgown and headed to the door to open it. She found Arthur waiting for her with a big tray that was full with breakfast.

"Would my lady like to have breakfast in bed?"

"Well, it's not breakfast _in_ bed now, is it? I'm already up." she said as she let him in her room. He put the tray on a tea table close to the door and grabbed her from the waist.

"That is definitely not a problem." he said and swept her off her feet and carried towards the big king-sized bed. Morgana laughed and kissed him as they landed on the soft mattress. Arthur had slept on that mattress almost every night after their arrival.

They had sex for the first time five days ago. They had dinner on the floor by the fireplace in her room. At some point after a few glasses of good red wine and jokes and laughs, she was sitting on top of him with her legs across his waist kissing him. Morgana didn't even think twice about taking of her shirt. His soon came off and he laid her on her back on the thick carpet.

He left kisses on her neck and worked himself up to her ear where he whispered her name and how much he wanted her.

"_Me too." _she had said and noted to herself that this is how true passion and desire felt like.

His pants and her jeans followed rather quickly and their underwear after that. She moaned and screamed and he grunted until they had both reached their peak. They lay there for a few moments breathing heavily before he laughed and picked her up taking her to the bed where another round followed.

Every night after that was a repetition of that night with a few variations each time.

"I'm not very hungry, you know. I could go for without breakfast for a little longer." he said as he was situated on top of her with his one hand on her waist and the other running up and down her thigh.

She agreed with a small nod of her head since she was too busy with his lips to talk, he grinned against her lips as she unbuttoned his jeans.

She went down the stairs in a hurry eager to see what Arthur's surprise. He had told her to come down at 8 o'clock and then ordered her not to leave her room until then. She had complained and pouted but he was not willing to say anything. He had also told her to dress nicely.

She reached the end of the stairs where the housekeeper waited for her and showed her to the dining hall.

_What sort of conspiracy is this, Arthur Pendragon?,_ she thought teasingly.

He had the stuff prevent her from going downstairs during the day. She was practically a prisoner in her own room all day. But no matter how much she wanted to see what Arthur had prepared for her. But no matter how much she wanted to know what was happening downstairs she was grateful for the small amount of no-Arthur time she was given.

When she had some time to clear her head, she realized that she had been living another woman's life for the past weeks. For the first time after she had taken her mother's crown, she felt new and happy and it amazed her that the reason for all this bliss was Arthur.

Could she actually be falling for him? At that moment, she couldn't think of herself away from him and even the idea that their extended "vacation" would end and he would at some point go back to Camelot hurt her more than she dared to admit.

_I could get used to the feeling even though I can't really name what it is yet._

But she did...

When the door to the dining hall opened all she could do was stare in wonder. The room was nothing like it was a week ago. The big table that stretched throughout the room was gone, another smaller one for two took its place at the end of the hall by the window. There were two candles on the table and Arthur was waiting for her in front of it. The whole scene was as if it was taken from a romantic movie and the two of them were the protagonists.

She moved slowly inside with an expression of awe on her face. Arthur was waiting for her at the table and she reached him, he took her hand in his and kissed her fingers.

"I never asked. Would you like to dine with me?" he said and she couldn't help but smile back at him.

"I think that I would be a fool not to." she answered and his smile grew even wider.

He had organised that dinner down to every last detail. he had asked the chef to cook her favourite dishes including her favourite desert and he had chosen the wine with extra care to please her. after they ate and drunk and talked and laughed, he asked her to dance with him.

"There's no music." she said and laughed. of course a tune to a waltz was something she was all too familiar with so it wouldn't be difficult to imagine it but still...

"Do you really believe I wouldn't have arranged for some music?" he said and got up from his seat offreing her his hand as a song started playing in the distance.

Morgana laughed, took his hand and let him drag her to the centre of the huge dining hall. There he placed one hand on her waist and brought her closer to him. Morgana responded and put her own on his shoulder. And they started dancing without taking their eyes off each other's faces.

"You're amazing." he whispered and Morgana could feel happiness filling her up and couldn't resist him a smile. "I don't know where you've been my whole life."

"It was you who never visited, my Prince." she said and rested her head on his shoulder. "I think that I'm in love with you." she said before she could stop herself.

She felt Arthur growing tense for a second and then relaxed like he was only taken by surprise from what she said. "I think I am, too." he whispered in her ear and kissed her.

"...which is why, and I know that we didn't plan this..." he said and let go of her keeping only her hand in his. "...I have a question for you."

Morgana was intrigued by this question. _What could he want?_

And then her surroundings became a blur and she felt her feet would give out and the only thing that kept her from falling was Arthur's hand and she felt that she would choke. All that cause Arthur was now on one knee. And her ears started humming and she felt dizzy. He said something that she didn't hear but she read his lips and they seemed to be saying to her

_"Will you marry me?"_

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><p><strong>BANG! It has been two months but that's what you get for waiting haha :D <strong>

**So did you like it? Let me know what you thought cause I have started having problems with writing this story...I'm starting to believe that it's not good enough and that people will eventually hate it! so please tell me what you like and don't like so that I can work the whole story and make it better :) I really need your help with this one...**

**PLEASE REVIEW! :D**


	10. Author's Note

Hello,

It's me, the irresponsible writer of this story that has left you hanging for all these months. First, I'd like to say that I am terribly sorry that I did this to you, if I were you, I would be completely disappointed in me and angry probably. I haven't updated in all these months because I have been feeling less and less inspired to write more and I knew that if I forced myself to write the result would be a big pile of crap.

Second, I'd like to say that your pms and reviews urging me to move on and all the kind words and feedback you've been sending me makes me feel even worse for being such a bad writer. Congratulations, on the guilt department, you are the best XD

And finally, I am happy to announce that I will start writing the next chapter in the following days so I'm hoping to have a new chapter for you soon. I understand if you are tired with this story, if you don't want to keep reading it because of my big hiatus and I just want to thank you for even reading in the first place.

SO EXPECT CHAPTER 10 TO BE UP SOON!

Thank you for your patience and your love for this story

I hope you don't hate me too much

3


	11. The Answer

**Thank you for sticking to this story even though I hadn't updated in so long. Your reviews and messages to continue it is what made me write this chapter and decide not to give up on _the Descendants. _This story owes its life to you. Thank you :)**

**I hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

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><p><em>Previously...<em>

_A royal visit has brought prince Arthur of Camelot and queen Morgana of Avalonea together. Everyone expects a marriage to be the result of this visit but the two royals have different plans. They have no intention of marrying each other but as they spend more time together, they start to fall for each other which led to Arthur proposing to her over dinner. __Meanwhile, Agravaine and king Uther plan against Morgana aiming to get Avalonea away from the hands of the rightful queen. Their first victim was Sir Alliser, Morgana's most trusted advisor, who died in a tragic car accident._

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><p>Morgana just stood there with her mouth hanging open as the music in the background came into an end. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry; things had taken such an unexpected turn that she almost felt dizzy. All this time, Arthur waited for her reply with a happy smile upon his face that made her feel terrible. He was amazing and he made her happy and she was in love with him but he was a Pendragon and she was a LeFay and as much as she would want to marry him, she wouldn't allow anyone else, like his father, to gain privileges from such a union.<p>

So instead of a smile the shocked mask upon her face was followed by a sad, indifferent one. She took a step back away from Arthur and her hand left his, too. She felt like crying and she saw the light go away from Arthur's eyes as he saw her reaction knowing what would follow. His face turned into an even mixture of pain, disappointment and anger. He raised from his princely stance and stared at her with cold eyes.

"So?" he asked coldly as if he wasn't truly there.

"You can't ask me to marry you, Arthur. I'm a queen." she blurted out her excuse even though it was a terrible one. He knew that; he knew that you can't just propose marriage to a queen. She must be the one to make the offer. "It should be me who.." she mumbled with a notion to his earlier actions.

Arthur laughed a bitter, cold, mocking laughter that made her heart freeze "So of all the stupid, ceremonial crap you have been instructed when becoming queen, this is the one you go with." he shouted back at her. "Why don't you just admit it, Morgana? You don't _want_ to marry me. Otherwise, you wouldn't mind who popped the question!"

They both knew he was right; she indeed didn't want to marry him, not because she didn't love him but because her pride wouldn't allow her to marry the man, they all wished for her to marry. She hated Uther way too much to let him have it his way, if she agreed to marry Arthur, Avalonea would belong to the Pendragons and she couldn't have that.

Arthur's pride kicked in as well at that moment. He wasn't a man to take no for an answer and when he did, his wounded ego wouldn't let him think straight. "Just say it!" He felt his anger boiling under his skin, he didn't want to shout at her or did he? The rejection was too much at that moment. He felt betrayed, he had opened up at her, he, who was the irresponsible Casanova, who changed girlfriends every week, and he had been rejected by one Morgana LeFay. "You're worse than the spoiled princesses you make fun of."

His words hit her like a slap in the face but she couldn't blame him, she, too, would angry if she were in his shoes. A part of her wanted to lower her eyes and stare at the floor, ashamed of herself, but her pride and stubbornness wouldn't let her. She just looked at him like his words didn't touch her. That made Arthur even angrier, "Damn you, you sorceress." And with that he left the hall, his angry footsteps audible as he climbed the stairs to his room, the shut of his door sending a shiver down Morgana's spine as she sank to her knees and started crying.

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><p>There wasn't one thing standing in his room once he was done with it. Books, clothes, pillows, glasses were scattered all over the prince's room and he was laying on his bed when his anger seemed to settle down after he had taken it all out of the furniture and anything else he had found in his way. However, now that he wasn't that angry he felt something else; he felt hurt. Arthur stared at the ceiling doing nothing, just breathing. He tried really hard not to think, to keep the moments from earlier locked in some place of his mind but he wasn't succeeding. What happened between him and Morgana kept coming back, again and again, like his brain was stabbing him in the gut, making his wound bigger every time.<p>

The sun came up at some point and he was still laying on his bed; he hadn't moved an inch. It was like he as dead but with a beating, hurt heart and a steady breathing. he wished he was brain-dead, too, because in that long night he had gone through his thoughts hadn't left him for a moment. In the beginning, all he could think off was Morgana and their dinner and the proposal and... Still, at some point during the night he had managed to think further ahead. What should he do now? His feelings weren't the only thing at stake. They had launched themselves in the middle of a dangerous game played by his father and Agravaine and only Arthur knew of it, which meant that Morgana was still in danger. It was easier to try to find a solution to this problem and not think of her rejection, it hurt less.

_I can't stay. I have to go. She will at least be safe from my father's plans._

If Uther wished for a united Albion under his son's rule, he needed Morgana alive until she was willing or forced by the circumstances to marry Arthur. Perhaps, that will even buy her some protection for some time. Agravaine. however, was a different matter. He had sided with his father and he claimed to be a loyal servant to the Pendragons but rthur somehow knew it in his gut that the young counselor had a different agenda, an agenda that didn't have Morgana's safety and well-being as its top priority.

Arthur brought his hands on his eyes and rubbed them to chase the sleepiness away, not there was a possibility he could sleep anyway. A frustrated groan left his lips as his sore muscles didn't like the sudden movement after a whole night of immobility. Still, he quickly got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He stared at his reflection hoping that perhaps the Arthur in the mirror would have a soltion for him but to no avail. He remained silent and so the prince gave up.

Getting his things in the small suitcase he had brought with him was easier than he expected, as if God wanted him out of there, too. He found a piece of paper, wrote a sentence quickly, folded it and left it on the bedside table with Morgana's name written on it.

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><p><em>"Yesterday in a shocking move, the queen has named her counselor and lord of Caerlon and Carlisle, Agravaine, who is her first cousin and closest in line for the throne, a traitor to the crown and has ordered for his immediate arrest. The palace of Avalon has not yet laid down the reasons why the young lord is considered guilty of such charges. Agravaine Thorne is the first member of the HC to be accused of high treason and his punishment is still to be determined."<em>

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><p><em>"Shocking the world and her people, queen Morgana has declared Agravaine Thorne a fugitive since his disappearance coinsides with the queen's order for his arrest. As of now, the former lord is on the run and his whereabouts remain unknown."<br>_

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><p><em>"Queen Morgana XI has announced that from from today, Agravaine Thorne is stripped of all his titles and riches. The crown had confiscated all of his lands and wealth and they will become the state's property. However, sources from inside the palace confirm that half of Agravaine Thorne's fortune is in secret bank accounts that the officials haven't yet discovered. The lord that so quickly fell from grace has disappeared and it's still impossible to track him down."<br>_

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><p>Morgana was sitting at her office looking at the note a prince had left for her before he fled back to his country and as far away as possible from her. She had spent hours looking at it in the past four months and even though it only held four words she kept pulling it from her drawer and looked at it almost every day<em>. <em>Perhaps, she was afraid the words would fade from the paper. He had left without saying goodbye, he had vanished from the manor in a matter of hours without as much as a word except for that note.

When she had entered his room and saw all the mess he had made her heart had sunk even deeper in her chest. She had felt that all the rage he had taken out on the furniture should be directed to her and the fact that he had left hurt her even more. Her eyes fell on his nightstand where a small piece of paper sat waiting for her. She had grabbed it full of hope, not knowing what he could have possibly have written or what she was hoping to see. Perhaps a goodbye. Or "I love you"...

_Get rid of Agravaine._

Morgana felt like crying as she listened to the words coming from his mouth in a cold, distant voice. The room felt cold all of a sudden, too, and she wrapped her arms around herself hoping she wouldn't break down again. But she did and she spent all morning looking at the words he had written but most of all her name, softly grazing her fingers over the paper.

She spent the next months being an ice queen and doing as he advised her to.

She hardly heard what the reporter was saying on the tv but when she looked up the title was enough to make her jaw drop and her breath to stick to her throat.

_"TRAITOR AGRAVAINE THORNE BELIEVED TO HAVE SIDED WITH KNOWN TERRORIST!"_

A picture of the latest leader of the terrorists, that had the honor of being called by the name of the man that killed the great King once he received the position of leader, appeared on the flat screen and she had to stop her hand from shaking.

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><p><strong>And this puts an end to my very long hiatus. Again, thank you for your love and support for this story. You're the best.<br>**

**PLEASE REVIEW**

**Reviews made me come back to this story, they will surely help me continue it :) **


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